"Need to Go to Work" Due to Feelings of Alienation and Necessity of Face-to-Face Guidance
Staff Shortage and Regional Disappearance Are Alternatives... Considering Solutions
The proportion of remote work, which had been gaining attention in Japan as a solution to labor shortages and regional extinction issues, has hit its lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic. As work was conducted remotely, problems such as employees feeling isolated due to the lack of face-to-face guidance from supervisors or seniors emerged, leading to a rapid decline in remote work. Many companies are reportedly struggling to find ways to balance the advantages of remote work with in-person work.
According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 8th, the Japan Productivity Center conducted a survey from April 10 to 11 targeting 1,100 workers aged 20 and above employed by companies. The rate of remote work implementation was recorded at 15.5%, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic. This result is a further decline from the previous survey conducted six months ago (16.8%) and is nearly half of the rate recorded in May 2020 during the pandemic (31.5%).
Asahi reported, "The reduction in remote work was particularly notable among large companies, which saw a drop of more than 10 percentage points compared to the previous survey." Large companies experienced a sharp decline of 11.3 percentage points from 34% in the prior survey.
The atmosphere demanding employees to come to the office is generally expanding. The proportion of people working remotely five days a week also halved to 14.1% compared to the previous survey. This means that even with remote work, commuting has become indispensable.
In fact, managers identified challenges of remote work such as "alleviating employees' feelings of loneliness and isolation" and "face-to-face guidance or advice from supervisors or seniors." From the employees' perspective, issues like "fairness in evaluation compared to those who commute" and "anxiety about how work performance will be assessed" remain.
Recently, attempts have been made to appropriately mix remote work and commuting by restructuring workplaces or creating virtual office spaces. Recruit Holdings in Japan established a dedicated floor last month for employee interaction. During the day, free handmade gelato is available, and at night, it transforms into a bar where employees can drink. Recruit introduced a work style without commuting in April two years ago, and the average commuting rate last year was 38%. Surprisingly, complaints from employees included "There were few opportunities to meet colleagues" and "It was lonely because no one was around even when I came to the office."
Mitsui & Co. also prepares drinks and light meals twice a week and arranges for colleagues who only greet each other during remote work to dine together, creating opportunities for interaction. They held 80 events over one year until this spring, with 10,300 participants throughout the year.
Nomura Real Estate is also following the trend of creating offices that maximize the benefits of commuting by introducing vending machines that provide free drinks when two employees simultaneously tap their ID cards on the card reader.
In fact, these efforts paradoxically reflect the problem that Japan cannot completely abandon remote work under the current circumstances. Asahi stated, "Companies continue remote work despite these challenges because they see it as effective for talent acquisition." In a survey by the Productivity Center conducted the previous day, 16.4% of regular employees and 9.6% of managers responded that they would consider quitting or changing jobs if remote work was abolished or restricted at their workplace.
Yuri Tajawa, CEO of a consulting firm related to remote work, said, "In the midst of labor shortages, companies that can ultimately increase productivity through remote work will attract good talent and survive."
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