Ivanovs and Remote Work - Paradigm Shift in the Labor Market

In our Ivanov survey for 1Q21, we expanded the list of questions to gauge attitudes toward remote work. The responses indicate that at the time of the survey 11% of Ivanovs were working remotely, more than half of whom had previously worked from an office. Some 40% of respondents described remote working as more productive, and if they had a choice, 80% of those working from home would prefer to continue doing so or shift to a combination of office and home. Underscoring the positive outlook on remote work both among Ivanovs and their employers, 85% of respondents working remotely assume that their employers will retain the option to work remotely or at least an element of remote work. All this points to increasing flexibility among Russian companies in determining their employees' work schedules and the emergence of remote work as an integral part of the modern labor market, which will likely be persistent and even more popular in the future.> The share of Ivanovs working remotely doubled last year. In 1Q21, 80% of respondents had returned to working in the office in which they had worked before the Covid restrictions. Some 11% are working remotely, of which only 40% had been working from home before the pandemic.> Among Ivanovs working remotely, most expected their employer to continue to operate remotely. The shift to working remotely was largely forced by the pandemic, but the situation has offered an opportunity to compare different work setups. Around 85% of respondents working remotely in 1Q21 assume that their employer will not force them to return to the office. More than half of these respondents were shifted to working remotely by the Covid restrictions.> Given the choice, 40% of the Ivanovs working remotely would prefer to remain doing so full time. Some 41% said they would prefer a combination of remote and office work and only 17% would like to return to the office. The mixed work regime is more attractive for men, with 47% of them opting to working remotely versus 36% of women.> Around 40% of Ivanovs believe that working remotely is more productive than working from the office. Most of the Ivanovs said they would prefer a flexible work regime, though 40% described working remotely as more productive. Employees in the IT, education and financial services sectors are the keenest to stay working remotely.> Ivanovs cite saving time and money on travel and greater flexibility as the main advantages of working remotely. More than 40% of respondents working remotely said their ability to work according to their own schedule is the key advantage of working remotely. Other important factors are the wider choice of work location (as they can work in another city or at their summer house, for example) and the opportunity to deal with household issues at the same time.> Meanwhile, office advocates appreciate their more focused work schedules and face-to-face interaction with colleagues. About 70% of respondents said that a more defined work schedule allows them to better organize their working hours and cited personal communication with colleagues as an important factor in choosing to work in an office. Some 40% consider it an advantage to have access to better equipment in the office, while a third of those working remotely admitted it is more difficult for them to concentrate on work while at home.