Background information

Use of home office and requirements for social distancing due to COVID-19 caused physical meetings to be canceled and made it necessary that contact with colleagues and others must take place digitally. This lead to an increase in the use of new digital tools and platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Teams and so on. A survey conducted in April 2020 show the widespread use of digital platforms during the pandemic.

Content of measure

A survey conducted in the last three weeks of April 2020 measured the use of home office (remote work) and the use of digital solutions in Norway during the first months of COVID-19 pandemic. The survey included 1,000 people of which 670 were employed. The survey weighted age and geography to correct biases.

The vast majority of Norwegian employees answered that they use digital tools that make it easier to work from home. Of the employees, 80% stated that they used one or more of the digital tools mentioned in the questionnaire. The most common were digital platforms for video conferencing. Only 20% state that they do not use any of the three types of solutions (Skype, Zoom, Teams) mentioned in the questionnaire. However, the biases in the survey sample (too many in office jobs and with a high level of education) may lead to some exaggeration in numbers.

Digital tools that make it possible to work from home have been in use for many years, but has become more relevant due to COVID-19. When asked, the employees answer the corona pandemic has led to increased use of such tools, and the survey numbers show that the use has increased significantly. Only 16% say it has not been any change.

Use of measure

The survey of April 2020 show how many employees that use the following digital tools in daily work:

• Video conferencing, teaching, chat mm. – 72%
• Work in shared documents – 65%
• Access to servers from home – 58%
• None of those mentioned – 20%
• Other tools – 2%.

Contents

• Telework

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Company / Companies	Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Informed	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

The use of digital platforms and teleworking is often discussed at company level between management and shop stewards.

Views and reactions

There may be discussions between the social partners at company level or at industry level on how to implement the use of digital platforms and tools at work. Usually privacy protection and work arrangements can cause disagreement.

Sources

• 30 April 2020: Home office and digital solutions. Fact sheet (www.fafo.no)