Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

September 19, 2022

Hello movers and shakers,

This week’s main headlines:

Exoticca raise €20M 🗺
McDonald's moves convention from US to BCN 🍔
Several new tech hubs open in BCN📍

What’s the real impact of WFH on our stress levels and well-being? 💻 🧘

Remote work has become a massive trend over the last few years. Yet, some love it, some hate it, and some just want the best of both worlds (office & home). Regardless of where you sit on that discussion, a recent report by NFON titled “Working from Home 2022” revealed some intriguing findings 💭.

The study was conducted across different EU countries, but here are the main takeaways for Spain 👉

The benefits 📈 are clear:

79% highlight the time saved by not having to travel to work
76% point out they save money by spending less on public transport, fuel, lunch, etc.
36% state WFH has increased time with their family

However, it’s not all rosy – the biggest drawbacks are based on stress 😵‍💫:

37.1% experience stress due to the lack of social contact with colleagues
30.8% feel stress because of a lack of barriers (not just physical ones) between work and private life
25.6% of Spaniards actually plan to quit their job as a result of the downsides of WFH. It is the country with the highest percentage on this issue.

I think this provides an important unbiased view of the discussion. WFH has its perks but it’s not perfect for everyone either. So, in my opinion, the way to go should be discussed with the team 👬 to take into account each person's view. In some cases, this might mean a fully digital environment for all, while in others, it may be a hybrid approach.

In a nutshell, just because you love WFH at all times, it doesn’t mean that everybody does. So make sure that your work setup is actually providing value to your staff, listen to them, and then give them a choice – or at least account for their view.

📝 Side note, several respondents also pointed out feeling stressed due to problems with their home office setup: tech issues (21.5%), noise (20.2%), and a bad internet connection (13.4%). So maybe for some people, allowing them to work in a coworking space near where they live could be a nice sweet spot that offers the best of both worlds.

What is your view on WFH? Shoot me a message on LinkedIn or reply to this email.

Written by Clemens

Have a good week wherever you're working! 💪

BCN FinTech returns next month in style! In this edition, featured speaker Clemens Rossberg, Co-founder & COO at fonYou 📱, will share his journey, experience & views on all things fintech. You'll also have the chance ask him your own questions before networking with the fintech community whilst enjoying some drinks & snacks 🍺🍕. Best thing? It's free. Sign up now here!