Instead of going back to the previous way of working, employees would like a future where work activities are defined according to their needs, whether it’s spending more time with loved ones (47%), saving money (46%) or working remotely (31%).

According to new global research by Kaspersky involving 8,000 SME workers in different sectors, almost three-quarters of Italian employees (70%) would like to change the way they work pre-COVID-19. After abandoning the rigid work routine, in fact, employees are redesigning the “next normal” for the world of work, which encourages a more agile, flexible and human-scale work culture. In the near future, almost a third of employees (31%) would like to abandon the traditional time slot from 9:00 to 18:00. This figure is even higher for employees aged between 18 and 24 (44%), which shows a growing trend. 33% are still ready to return to a fixed position in the office, but about a quarter (26%) would like to abolish the five-day working week.

The research also highlighted that almost a third (31%) of employees consider remote work as one of the greatest benefits that emerged during coexistence with the coronavirus, immediately after the time spent in the family (46%) and the economic savings obtained (37%). In fact, most of the benefits are related to the fact that new opportunities for personal enrichment can be seized outside of work, as achieving a work-life balance has become even more important.

As employees are adopting more advanced and flexible ways of working, it is crucial that companies offer them more support, which is also better suited to their needs. 42% of employees are asking their organization for more remote technology support, highlighting how necessary it is than ever to provide the tools and technology to keep users productive, connected and secure.

Alexander Moiseev, Chief Business Officer at Kaspersky, said: “We are facing a crucial moment. The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the digital transformation, leading our professional life and privacy to overlap. We have noticed that employees are using technology to decide their future and are embarking on a path of change in search of greater freedom and flexibility. Companies are now tasked with adapting and reshaping the modern workplace into a more productive, sustainable and flexible structure.”