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Survey: Half of Finns want to continue working from home after pandemic

Respondents cited control over working hours and lack of commuting as positive aspects of the telecommuting experience.

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  • Yle News

More than half of respondents to a survey in Finland said they would like to continue working from home even after the coronavirus pandemic has ended, according to a study carried out at the University of Turku.

Some 52 percent of respondents said they would like to telecommute on a permanent basis, while 29 percent said they would like to work remotely for as long as the pandemic lasts.

Less than a fifth responded that they do not want to continue working from home once the crisis is over.

The survey found that respondents valued a relatively high freedom to influence one's own working hours as well as the absence of unnecessary travel as being positive aspects of the telecommuting experience.

The All Points North podcast investigated last year if Finland be a global telecommuting haven.You can listen to the full podcast via the embedded player here or via Yle Areena, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your usual podcast player using the RSS feed. Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for the APN newsletter.

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Is Finland the world's next Covid haven?
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Disadvantages included the lack of social contact with colleagues and the constant presence of work-related matters at home.

The research also found that Finland's transition to telecommuting last year was largely successful, helped by employers' trust in employees and a strong foundation created by digitalisation in the Finnish workplace.

A total of more than 1,500 people responded to the survey during October and November last year.