It’s been over a year since the pandemic began, and a lot of previously office-based Filipinos have shifted to working from home since then. While this work setup has affected a lot of people’s mental health, a recent study found that 49% of Filipinos actually prefer working remotely.
According to joint research by SEEK Asia (parent company of JobStreet), Boston Consulting Group, and The Network entitled ‘Decoding Global Ways of Working,’ most Filipinos like working from home, while the rest can manage a mix of office and remote work. Only a few Filipino respondents said that they want to go back to the office.Â
Filipinos have been quick to respond to the new normal work setup as well. Before the pandemic hit, only 52% of Pinoys were working remotely. This skyrocketed to 85% amid the pandemic.
In addition to this, the study revealed that 89% of the global workforce want to shift to full-time or part-time remote work even after the pandemic is over. Of these respondents, 24% like working from home for the whole week, while 25% said they’d rather go to the office for two days, and work remotely for the rest of the week. Up to 64% of people worldwide expressed interest in adapting flexible working hours, and only 36% prefer keeping the status quo 9 to 5 work setup.
This study surveyed 208,807 workforce respondents in 190 countries with more than 5,000 of them hailing from the Philippines. The sample includes about an equal proportion of men and women, who are mostly from commercial industries; and are mostly 20 to 40 years of age. The survey was conducted between October and early December of 2020.
It goes without saying that the ongoing pandemic has been a total changer. However, it’s interesting that it has made people rethink the way they work. While the future is still unwritten, it looks like more people are keen on working at the comforts and safety of their homes.
