Remote work has broken the usual rhythm of life of Ukrainians, turning homes into offices, and labor teams into groups of people scattered across the country, and even beyond its borders, connected only by screens. The advances in digitization accelerated by the war have opened up new possibilities, but at the same time exposed social changes for which we were not prepared. Of course, life has become more flexible, and work has become more efficient. But, instead, such familiar and at the same time important little things of everyday life disappeared instantly. Instead of discussions by the coffee maker – dry chats. Instead of a sense of belonging, there is independent balancing between deadlines and personal life. New approaches to the performance of work duties force us to reconsider not only work habits, but also the very concept of community. Adapting to the new realities of life, Ukrainian society risks turning into a disjointed network of individualists.
Imbalance in the modern labor market
Currently, there is an imbalance in the Ukrainian labor market. More and more candidates for new jobs prefer a remote or hybrid work format. At the same time, employers mostly insist on the presence of the team in the office.
For data of the national research project “Labor Market Barometer 2024”, 17% of Ukrainian companies have introduced a hybrid work format, combining work from home and in the office. Only 5% of employers agreed to the remote mode of employees of their team. 14% of companies see bringing employees back to the office full-time as one of the top HR challenges both now and in the next 2-3 years. In turn, 21% of employers, on the contrary, define the expansion of opportunities for remote work as one of the priority areas.
The results research of the labor market by the European Business Association also indicate the reluctance of employers to promote remote work mode:
- 25% of companies allow all categories of employees to work remotely;
- 63% provide this opportunity to only part of the employees;
- 12% oppose remote work.
The position of employees regarding the format of work is significantly different from the views of employers. The ability to work remotely in a convenient schedule became a key factor when choosing a job. Over the past year, interest in the remote mode among Ukrainians has grown significantly: if in 2023 the remote format was important for 32.9% of employees, then at the end of 2024 this share increased to 44.6%. The popularity of the flexible schedule also increased – from 30.6% in 2023 to 32.4% at the end of 2024.
Studying the situation on the labor market, the Work.ua portal demonstrated that five times more candidates respond to vacancies with the possibility of remote work. Most prefer to work from home to avoid time spent on the road. Freelancers value a flexible schedule and freedom of planning. In Ukraine, the demand for remote work remains high, in particular because of the war. This allowed many Ukrainians to keep their jobs, even after moving to another city or abroad.
Yes, for data According to the Work.ua survey, at the beginning of 2024, almost half of employers (44%) do not have a single remote employee on staff. Another 18% of companies have not yet decided on the format of work. At the same time, 17% of employers completely abandoned the remote format this year, while 12% continue to support the online work of employees. Only 9% of companies bet on a hybrid schedule, combining office and remote employment.
Dreamed freedom or loneliness
The remote work format has brought with it what previously seemed impossible. Ukrainians are no longer tied to one city or even country, because many were forced to move to places where it is safer or more comfortable. The war only strengthened this trend: some went abroad, keeping their jobs, some moved from the frontline regions to the rear of the city, without losing their source of income.
In addition, the need to spend hours on the way to the office, endure noisy open spaces and work under the supervision of a manager has disappeared. The flexibility of the schedule allows you to better balance work and personal life, take care of children, study or simply work at your own pace. Many companies have opened jobs without geographic restrictions, which has expanded the opportunities for workers, especially in small towns.
In general, the transition to telecommuting is not just changing the office chair to a home one. Habits change along with the workplace. The alarm clock no longer rings at seven in the morning, and lunch can drag on for an hour because no one is standing with a stopwatch. The journey to the office is reduced to just a few steps from the bed to the laptop, and work calls are often made in pajamas, at least as long as only the front-facing camera is on.
But experts claim that this mode of operation can turn us into savages. Long periods of time alone without the usual social environment can not only affect communication skills, but also affect muscle memory and promote habits that are better kept silent when returning to society.
For data Business Insider, workers who work from home are more likely to neglect daily hygiene compared to office colleagues, although the difference is not critical. For example, 73% of remote workers take a shower before starting work, while among office workers this figure reaches 85%. Deodorant is used by 81% of home workers versus 95% of office workers, and 92% versus 95% brush their teeth in the morning.
In addition, remote work significantly changes the attitude to the dress code. Some workers don’t change their pajamas for whole days or have separate “work” and “night” sets. And at home it is easier to allow yourself such small joys as talking aloud to yourself, spontaneous singing or even breaks in the dance – impromptu things that can surprise colleagues in the office. Also, working from home can cause a real problem with interruptions. People either don’t take them at all, or breaks that should be short suddenly turn into long ones that distract from doing things.
As we can see, along with freedom came unexpected challenges. It turned out that remote work means not only the absence of a boss behind your back, but also the absence of live communication. People who have worked in offices for years are used to conversations around the coffee machine, teamwork and a sense of community. Now they were alone with the screen. Instead of random acquaintances and discussions in the kitchen, there are Telegram chats and Zoom meetings, where they talk only to the point, without unnecessary jokes or emotions. Most of the remote workers say that they have not even seen their colleagues in the eyes, because their online meetings are held with the cameras turned off. Gradually comes the understanding that the work environment should include not only the distribution of tasks. It is important to feel the socialization, mutual support and energy of the team.
A separate issue is professional development. In offices, training often takes place informally: junior specialists learn from seniors, listen to the conversations of experienced colleagues, and quickly receive feedback. There is no such thing on the “remote control”. It is more difficult for newcomers to adapt, and career growth becomes less obvious. There is also a blurring of the boundaries between work and personal life. If the office clearly separated these two areas, then at home the working day can stretch for 10-12 hours, especially if there are no clear boundaries and discipline. Many Ukrainians admit that they work more than in the office, but feel less efficient. This is especially noticeable among those who remained in Ukraine during the war. Constant stress, power outages, sirens and shelling are not conducive to productivity. But the requirements of the market do not change, because it is necessary to work at the same level, without discounts for circumstances.
Remote work abroad: a new standard or a temporary experiment
Even ten years ago, the idea of working from home without daily trips to the office seemed more the exception than the norm. But the pandemic of 2020 has literally undermined the labor market, forcing companies around the world to reconsider the traditional format of work. It turned out that a significant part of business processes can function remotely, and productivity does not drop. After the pandemic ended, some states made remote work part of the new norm, others returned workers to offices, and some are trying to find a compromise. Currently, about 20% of American offices are empty because their employees work remotely. In Europe, this indicator is somewhat lower and amounts to 8%.
During the pandemic, American companies were among the first to transfer employees to remote work. At the time, it seemed like it was the future: big corporations like Twitter (before Musk came – ed.), Meta and Google announced that they would allow their employees to work from anywhere. However, after the crisis of 2022-2023, the mood changed. CEOs of companies began to talk about the drop in productivity and the loss of corporate culture. Giants such as Amazon, Apple and JPMorgan have partially returned employees to offices by introducing a hybrid format (2-3 days in the office, the rest – remotely). At the same time, IT companies and startups remain more flexible. Many of them continue to work completely remotely, hiring employees from different parts of the world.
In Europe, the situation is somewhat different. Remote work here is not just a business trend, but also a part of social policy. For example, France has a “right to disconnect” – a law that prohibits employers from disturbing employees outside of working hours. Germany, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries actively support telecommuting because it promotes work-life balance. Great Britain in general is experimenting with a 4-day working week, which is also made possible by a flexible approach to employment.
However, some countries, such as Spain and Italy, are less active in supporting remote work, as a large part of the economy depends on small businesses, services and manufacturing, where remote work is not possible.
In China, Japan and South Korea, remote work has not become the main format. In these countries, the corporate culture is built on the traditions of office presence, and managers believe that the remote format reduces efficiency. In Japan, for example, many workers have returned to offices as early as 2021, because their work culture involves collective responsibility and daily interactions. Chinese companies also quickly abandoned the remote control, citing the need to monitor workers.
Now a separate trend called “digital nomads” has also begun to gain popularity. These are people who work remotely, but are not tied to a specific city or country. They travel the world, live in cheaper countries such as Thailand, Georgia, Portugal or Mexico, and at the same time receive Western-level salaries. Realizing the benefits of such a trend, many countries, such as Spain and Estonia, have introduced special “digital nomad visas” that allow you to live and work in the country without the need to look for local work.
Impact of remote work on health
Working from home means less traffic. If earlier the way to the office involved at least some activity – a walk to the transport, the stairs, a walk to lunch – now all these micro-loads have disappeared. Sitting for hours in one position causes problems with the spine, joints and blood circulation. Orthopedists are increasingly talking about the “home office syndrome” – back pain, overstrained neck and shoulder muscles, and an increase in varicose veins.
The sleep mode has also changed. Not having to wake up early for the commute to work encourages an irregular sleep schedule. Falling asleep late, feeling constantly tired, and decreasing concentration are all consequences of a disruption of circadian rhythms, which has a long-term effect on productivity and general health.
In addition, another companion of remote work is vision problems. Long hours in front of screens without a break lead to eye strain, dryness and even deterioration of vision. The syndrome of “computer vision” – blurred image, feeling of sand in the eyes, headache – has long become the norm for those who work remotely.
Another inconspicuous, but significant factor is eating habits. In the office there is a certain rhythm of eating, while at home the refrigerator is always nearby. Frequent snacks, lack of complete lunches, the temptation of fast food – all this contributes to gaining excess weight and problems with metabolism.
However, the most devastating impact of remote work is on mental health. The feeling of isolation, lack of live communication, lack of a clear boundary between work and personal life provoke stress, burnout and even depression. People feel constantly involved in the work process, losing the opportunity to fully relax. Abolishing the rituals of the work environment – informal conversations with colleagues, shared lunches – takes away the social support that is important for mental well-being.
Therefore, remote work has become a new reality for millions of Ukrainians, fundamentally changing not only the way of earning, but also the state of their health. It provided new opportunities, but at the same time brought challenges with which society is still learning to cope. Global trends show that remote work will not disappear, but will only change. In any case, those who can find a balance between productivity, flexibility and teamwork will win.
