The pandemic seemed to cause a change in the way of working in Spain. Many office workers had to work from home and this became the norm. Companies thought that flexible working would be the future with less need for office space. However, in reality, most workers in Spain have returned to the office and working from home remains rare.
According to the latest data from the European Statistical Office Eurostat almost 89% of Spanish employees will not have worked from home a single day in 2023. Only 6% worked from home regularly, and 5% did so occasionally. These figures show that Spain is one of the European countries furthest behind in the implementation of working from home.
During the pandemic, bosses and employees had to work from home to continue performing their duties. Companies then introduced working from home, which seemed like the perfect solution. The idea was that this would lead to empty city centers, free workers from long commutes and encourage the development of new technologies in the workplace. However, in practice little has come of this.
Working from home (Spanish: teletrabajar) has certainly had benefits, such as more flexibility and better work-life balance for some. However, disadvantages have also emerged. Many employees miss the personal contact with colleagues and the informal conversations that normally take place in the office. In addition, it can be difficult to keep work and private life separate when you are constantly working from home.
It also appears that the exodus from city centers is not as great as expected. Many companies want to return to a hybrid form of working, with employees working partly at home and partly at the office. This is because collaboration and creativity often thrive better in a physical working environment. In short, the idea of working completely from home as the holy grail has not been fully realized.
Spain has a total of just 11% of employees working fully or partially from home, a ridiculously low figure compared to the Eurozone average of 21.6%. The Netherlands, a leader in this area, has almost 48% of employees who work from home in some way, temporarily or permanently.
There are significant regional differences in the extent of working from home in Spain. In areas such as Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country, where many service companies are located, the percentage of home workers is higher than the national average. But in more industrial regions with many construction companies and factories, working from home is hardly applicable.
According to WorkMeter’s annual remote working report Spanish employees are 5% more concentrated when working from home (71% compared to 66% in the office). The reasons? More comfort, more flexible hours and a greater sense of autonomy. There are more unexpected meetings in the office, and conversations with colleagues can last forever. In addition, there is the often long and tiring journey to work.
