Over 81 per cent of employees in the Asia Pacific and Japan are prepared for long-term remote work but express concern such as the blurring of boundaries between work and personal lives, according to a new study by Dell Technologies.

The Remote Work Readiness Index surveyed over 7,000 working professionals aged 18 and above to discover attitudes and sentiments towards long-term remote work and needs in terms of technology and human resource-related support important for its success.

“The events of 2020 have redefined the way we work where work is no longer anchored to one place and time, but by outcomes,” Jean-Guillaume Pons, vice president, client solutions group, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, Dell Technologies, said.

“With remote and/or hybrid work arrangements becoming the new reality, it will be critical for employers to provide employees with the necessary technology and HR-related support. The [index] presents a platform for us to help organisations in APJ understand employees’ needs to remain engaged and productive working from anywhere in the long term.”

When it comes to employers' efforts to provide the necessary technology resources to work remotely, only 50 per cent of surveyed employees feel they are doing everything they can.

During the implementation of lockdown measures, surveyed employees cited unstable remote networks, including internet bandwidth constraints (31 per cent), as their greatest technology challenge.

They also faced issues related to accessing company internal resources (29 per cent) and had to use personal productivity equipment or tools (28 per cent) for work.

As a result 39 per cent of employees stated that they want employers to provide productivity equipment or tools and another 36 per cent wanted them to ensure they have access to company resources.

In terms of HR support, 41 per cent said the top challenge was the lack of personal communication. Other significant challenges were a lack of learning and development sessions, including training for virtual tools, insufficient best practice training for remote working, and outdated policies and guidelines for remote work. — VNS