The emergency health situation due to Covid-19 has opened up new scenarios, leading many companies to implement digital technologies that have made it possible to work from anywhere. Market surveys have shown that in 2022 over 45% of companies have adopted forms of smart working. What prompted Italian companies to implement smart working for their employees?
How smart working spread in Italy in 2022: the numbers in detail
In Italy in 2022 smart working was used consistently, albeit to a lesser extent than in 2021 and 2020. Remote workers in 2022 numbered around 500,000 for small and medium-sized enterprises and the public administration, while 1.8 million smart worker were operating in large companies. Market research shows that smart working is present in 91% of large companies, which average about 9.5 days of remote work per month. An opposite trend is found in SMEs, where smart working represents 48% of companies, therefore about 4.5 days of work each month are carried out remotely. Market surveys, in fact, show that large companies consider smart working an effective tool for saving electricity and rent costs (about 30% of expenses), as well as improving the well-being and work-life balance for their employees, thus increasing their productivity of working hours by +20% compared to the on-site working method.
Savings in smart working in Italy: for companies and employees
For companies that use smart working, an estimated saving of around 500 euros per workstation per year is guaranteed, guaranteeing their employees two days of remote work a week. On the other hand, by reducing the physical spaces of the company headquarters, this saving increases significantly up to 2,500 euros per year for each worker. On the other hand, smart working also allows employees to cut their monthly fixed costs, related to fuel, subscription, for the use of public transport. Therefore, by carrying out smart working two days a week, research shows that each worker could save around 1,000 euros a year, but conversely, we must also consider the increase in domestic energy consumption, estimated at around 400 euros a year . Therefore, the total net saving is around 600 euros per year. The last saving factor linked to the use of smart working is linked to time, the time it takes the worker to reach and return from his or her workplace. According to a study, one day of smart working allows workers to save time equivalent to 7 days of activity a year. This time saved in travel could be reinvested by companies by rewarding their workers for contributing to company profitability, but currently only 15% of the companies examined in the sample analyzed have adopted initiatives such as benefits and reimbursements.
Forecasts and changes: smart working in Italy in 2023
Various market surveys estimate that by the year 2023 smart working in Italy will spread more and more, with an increase in the number of companies that will adopt this way of working. This trend will especially affect large companies, where an organizational culture focused on flexibility, organizational trust and digitization prevails. The increase in smart working in Italy, as verified by several market surveys, is linked to the increase in the procurement costs of raw materials, energy and transport. This will lead companies to become increasingly aware of the opportunities linked agile working both in terms of savings and in terms of environmental sustainability linked to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Changing working methods seems increasingly essential to increase productivity and find the right work-life balance. What do you think of smart working? and what is your experience?
