Much more business calls and online job in epidemic

The coronavirus epidemic has changed the style of work of many Poles. As a result, 1 in 5 employees significantly increased the time spent with the phone in their hand, according to the research of the National Debt Register (KRD). For almost a quarter of this group, business calls take as much as four hours more during the day than before the outbreak of the plague. On the other hand, among people who, after the outbreak of the epidemic, recorded greater business activity on the Internet, one in four spends 2-4 hours more work per day. Changes can also be seen in companies' debts to telecoms. During the epidemic, from February to July this year, such debt increased by over PLN 46 million. In total, the companies currently have almost PLN 364 million to pay.

Before the pandemic, we used the telephone for business purposes most often for less than an hour (20 percent of respondents) or about an hour (16 percent). On the other hand, the time spent online varied considerably. 16 percent of respondents spent less than an hour on business, 28 percent spent 1-3 hours, and 14 percent more than 4 hours.

Among those who recorded more online work after the pandemic, nearly a third said their time spent online increased by less than an hour. Almost every fourth employee estimates that they spend 2-4 more hours a day, and 17 percent more than four hours.

“Currently, despite the lifting of most of the restrictions, many employees still work from home. Thus, remote work turned out to be a long-term necessity. However, it is impossible to maintain the current level of work and implementation of tasks without maintaining relationships with colleagues, clients and contractors. Our research shows that phone calls or teleconferences via the Internet helped to a large extent compensate for limitations in face-to-face meetings,” Adam Łącki, President of the Management Board of the KRD, said.

(WBJ)