Skedulo, a leading deskless productivity software provider, today published a research report titled “The 2020 State of Work Report — Defining a New Normal Amid COVID-19.” The report shows the COVID-19 effects on desk-based workers — those in traditional office settings — and their deskless counterparts — mobile and remote employees — finding that both are working for many hours and worry about the risks related to either being on the frontline or returning to the office. With every job suffering from the pandemic in some way, the research analyzed the challenges that both deskless and desk-based workers face, also how they perceive their jobs going under the present circumstances.
One of the key findings of the study found that nearly 33% of deskless workers have either been infected with COVID-19 or know someone who has, which is higher than the national average. However, executives of both segments of the workforce are working as much as they can to avoid potential exposure, as many companies have instituted work from home policies or enacted new regulations such as wearing a mask or social distancing. Other than the health related concerns, workers say that their jobs have become more difficult (58%) — with deskless (31%) and desk-based (38%) saying working more hours is the main reason why.
“The results of this study overwhelmingly showed that no matter if workers are desk-based or deskless, they’re feeling the effects and facing the challenges since the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020,” said Matt Fairhurst, CEO and co-founder of Skedulo. “We’re seeing that employees are working more hours than normal and work has become more difficult due to a few factors, which overall is leading to job satisfaction levels to dip. This is concerning for employers and could result in higher levels of burnout.”
The research found COVID-19 is also having a customer-facing impact. Both deskless and desk-based workers reported productivity decreases, and field workers added that they’ve been unable to deliver the same level of customer service as they were prior to the pandemic. However, employers tried to mitigate the challenges by turning to technology, specifically to assist those on the frontlines. Nearly ¾ deskless workers (73%) said their employers implemented new technology as a reaction to the pandemic, which resulted in 80% of respondents feeling like they have the tools necessary to complete their jobs.
There are reasons to be optimistic though. Executives realize that technology is one of the tools helping combat the effects workers are feeling. This investment could help improve employee productivity and make it simpler for them to complete their jobs. But there’s still room for more improvement.
“CIOs’ investment in technology and decisions around the pandemic have proved beneficial, as workers recognize that their employers are trying hard to protect their health and help ease the difficulties caused by work,” Fairhurst added. “Further investments in technology could contribute to overcoming more of the challenges presented by COVID-19. This study reinforces that message and offers reasons to be optimistic about the future of work for both deskless and desk-based workers.”
This new research comes closely after the release of Skedulo’s “Solving the Software Gap for the Growing Community of Deskless Workers” report in August, which particularly examined the absence of software tools dedicated to the deskless workforce, which comprises of 2.7 billion people and makes up 80% of the global workforce. In that study, two-thirds of respondents said they anticipate the deskless workforce will continue to grow despite the current economic situation. Together, the two studies show that investing in technology could help solve the unique challenges that the deskless workforce faces, both those that were around before the pandemic and those that arose during the pandemic.
To learn more about Skedulo and the future of Deskless Productivity, visit https://www.skedulo.com/.
