14.04.2021

THE EFFECTS OF TELEWORK ON THE LABOR MARKET HAVE YET TO BE STUDIED IN DEPTH

Employers, like all workers, face many challenges during this economic crisis. A recent study showed that corporate social responsibility practices, especially in large companies, have been maintained even as financial parameters, and in some cases companies have even increased their budgets. This was stated by Zornitsa Rusinova, Chair of the Economic and Social Council (ESC).

These are usually companies from the financial and insurance sectors and energy. Some of these companies are branches of international companies that have good standards of corporate social responsibility and have managed to maintain them during the crisis, despite the great challenges. About 97-98% of companies have taken the most popular measures - for example, they encourage employees who have symptoms to stay at home.

It is necessary to prepare an internal organizational plan in case of COVID situation how to reorganize the company's activities. To make an analysis of the importance of a certain type of meetings, events and, accordingly, to reposition them in some way, Rusinova recommends. In 90% of the cases the business trips and the direct contact between the employees, as well as with clients have decreased.

Most companies, perhaps about 85%, also use forms of telework. We also see this trend at the pan-European level - recently EC data showed that over 40% of people who worked were remotely employed during the pandemic. This is one of the reasons for ESC to prepare an opinion this month on the effects of telework on the labor market.

Thus, it will be possible to make a good picture of the workforce and, accordingly, recommendations in which direction the legislature and the executive could work with specific measures, explained the chairman of the ESC.

"Based on this opinion, we will not only be able to give a good picture of the effects on the workforce, but also recommendations on the direction in which the legislature and the executive could work with specific measures. The other topic, which is also important. for us in the Economic and Social Council and in May we will clarify, is a full analysis of the measures that the state had prepared for companies, for people - to maintain employment, social support, financial liquidity, tax relief, credit deferrals, administrative deadlines, etc. In order to be able to be useful to the legislature and the executive in the summer months in formulating the next steps," explained the economist.

"The care of all countries, including Bulgaria, during this crisis was, first of all, to help both people and companies. To keep employment so that people do not lose their jobs. What we see from the recent survey is a rearrangement of the priorities of many business leaders and employers, and owners in general. If until two years ago the main topic was people's skills and qualifications, now the Covid crisis is in the first place. In second place, however, is the effect on the future of labor, as well as the effect on the renewal of energy sources, the circular economy, etc. - more and more companies are thinking about this topic," said Rusinova.