COVID-19 – A Massive Home Office Experiment

COVID-19 has forced people to work from home and certain groups of workers have been enjoying this experience. Meanwhile, President López Obrador aims to reform the pension system. Training workers will prevent lay-offs when basic skills are replaced by automation and a relevant number of Mexicans report unstable employment and depression at work.

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COVID-19 Sparks Biggest Work-from-home Experiment in the World

All around major business hubs in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, stores and businesses are kept closed. Regardless, work must go on. Millions of people might be confined to their apartments, nevertheless they have maintained productivity levels by working from home in what may be the biggest home-office experiment so far. On the other hand, teachers do not think giving digital classes is as successful. Other sectors have enjoyed the experiment so much that employers are planning to make working from home a more permanent activity. It might even lead to a welcoming policy in the near future.

Mexican Government Prompts Pension Reform

President López Obrador ratified three action points to provide better opportunities and dignified work for millions of workers. One of these points is related to improving the current pension system. It became apparent that with the 1997 social security law, people only would have access to 30 or 40 percent of their salaries after a complete lifetime of work. The government confirmed the plan is aimed to change this.

The other two points on the agenda are related to improving services from IMSS and battling corruption in Infonavit.

Training for Workers Ever More Important: CATEM

General Secretary Pedro Haces Barba of the Autonomous Confederation of Workers and Employees (CATEM) says that without training, there will be no better-paid jobs in Mexico. He argues that the upcoming automation of work forces syndicates to fight for better programs to train workers, which will lead to less people losing their jobs.

10.8 Million Mexicans Feel Uncertain About Employment

Considered the highest registered figure in history, at least 19 out of 100 workers suffer through long working days, complain about low salary wages or a combination of both, according to INEGI.  

Furthermore, both access and quality of work have decreased in 15 states in the country. Not a single state has reached the highest tier, reports a study from El Economista.

A Topic in Need of Discussion: Depression at Work

Depression affects millions of people worldwide. María Toledo, Psychiatrist at IMSS, stresses that with the high stress levels observed at work, people tend to suffer greatly. Even worse, anxiety and sometimes even depression tend to follow. IMSS officials report that 75 percent of workers suffer from stress at work.