Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs (2024)

FAQs

Does remote working increase job satisfaction? ›

Based on their findings, the researchers found support for a curvilinear relationship. The researchers found that the relationship between working remotely and job satisfaction subsided, and the employees' job satisfaction levels decreased at higher levels of remote work.

Challenges for remote teams:

Tracking tasks and productivity. Working from different locations, time zones, etc. Dealing with language and cultural differences. Building/maintaining trust.

Yes, while work from home is a solution with growing technology, it cannot replace office. There are several reasons. Only job related to industries like Information Technology, Internet, Online Services etc. can be carried out from a work from home scenario.

Remote working ability really makes people happier

A huge 83% of all respondents stated that the ability to work from home would make them happier. While 81% of respondents said the opportunity to work from home would make them feel more equipped to deal with work/life conflicts.

Stress reduction

The most significant benefit of working from home is the potential to reduce stress levels. There's no daily commute, you can sleep a bit longer, family commitments are easier to manage, and you'll likely achieve a better level of concentration without the distraction of office chatter and telephones.

Loneliness. Loneliness is another major challenge that often accompanies remote work. This year, 16 percent of respondents selected it as their top struggle. Loneliness is a problem outside of remote work contexts and the pandemic as well, though I'm sure that combining the two has exacerbated its severity.

Melissa's challenge #1: Poor routines

For Melissa, in general, the biggest obstacle to quality remote work are poor routines: “It is very easy to create a poor routine as a remote worker. This might include overworking, isolation, allowing too many meetings, and not enough face-to-face interaction.

Collaboration and communication

Communication between humans is already hard enough face-to-face, but it's much harder when working from home. People normally rely on nonverbal communication. This is why communicating effectively is one of the most common challenges you will face when working from home.

Research from Owl Labs found that remote and hybrid employees were 22% happier than workers in an onsite office environment and stayed in their jobs longer. Plus, remote workers had less stress, more focus and were more productive than when they toiled in the office.

The results show productivity while working from home is better than working at the workplace. On average, those employees who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.

Do employees prefer remote work? ›

Do employees want to return to the office? A survey by slack of 9,000 workers in six countries found that 72% prefer a hybrid remote-office model with only 12% preferring to always work in an office setting. They also found that 13% would like to always work from home if given the choice.

In a survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 2021, the majority of employees working remotely reported a decline in their mental health. Respondents cited isolation, loneliness, and difficulty getting away from work at the end of the day as drawbacks to working from home.

Loneliness and isolation are the largest reported concern amongst remote workers and its effects can go further than affecting just the individual. Some symptoms of isolation include increased stress levels and bad decision making.

Our study found that remote work can be less lonely than office-based work. That's because coworking spaces were shown to be more socially fulfilling than offices for many workers. This also indicates that returning to the office might be harmful for some.

Working from home can take a toll on remote workers' mental well-being, with loneliness from social isolation, stress, and sleep problems being leading concerns. Even before the start of the pandemic, remote employees' mental health was iffy.

For full-time remote employees, burnout is one of the most common dangers of working from home. A 2019 survey suggests that 82% of remote workers in the U.S. experience work fatigue with over half reporting that they work longer hours than those in the office.

Solution: For many, working from home means working alone. Remote work comes without that physical office comradery, water fountain chat, and lunchroom banter. With that said, working from home can be extremely isolating and lonely at times. Schedule calls, both personal and professional, throughout the day.

One reason why remote work is so hard is because of at-home interruptions. Although many believe that working from home boosts your productivity, distractions can easily interrupt the tempo of your work. In order to avoid this issue, it is essential to manage your time well and separate “home” time from “work” time.

The challenges of working from home

The number one challenge when working from home was social isolation (44%) followed by the blurring of work and home boundaries (33%) and missed opportunities for collaboration (30%).

Is remote work more productive? ›

Allowing employees to work remotely can increase their productivity. Research shows that employees working remotely can save $4,500 on commuting costs annually. One of the most effective ways workers can stay productive is by taking breaks throughout the day.

Challenge #1 Distractions in home office

Household chores and family obligations have the biggest potential to take away employees' focus, while other people are tempted by social media apps. Smartphones and other digital devices might be essential tools for work, but they can also cause some serious distractions.

We all need to take breaks, no matter how good we feel. Set yourself time boundaries for work, rest, and play. It means also doing things like defining boundaries for work time which means shutting off social media at appropriate times.

Research from Owl Labs found that remote and hybrid employees were 22% happier than workers in an onsite office environment and stayed in their jobs longer. Plus, remote workers had less stress, more focus and were more productive than when they toiled in the office.

What did they find? The authors found that the shift to remote work for all employees caused the communication network to become siloed: a decrease in cross-group communication but an increase in the connectedness of one's own group.

Remote work is the practice of employees doing their jobs from a location other than a central office operated by the employer. Such locations could include an employee's home, a co-working or other shared space, a private office, or any other place outside of the traditional corporate office building or campus.

Productivity was up 13% for the people working from home, which is a huge improvement. Of that 13% increase, about two-thirds was due to the fact they were working more minutes because they were late less, and took shorter lunch and toilet breaks. Then one-third was that they were more productive per minute.

Remote Workers More Productive in Short-Term Than Long-Term. The study, published in Nature, compiled data from over 60,000 Microsoft employees and found that employees who worked from home were able to yield higher productivity for short-term projects. However, they did not perform as well on long-term projects.

Is remote work more productive? ›

Allowing employees to work remotely can increase their productivity. Research shows that employees working remotely can save $4,500 on commuting costs annually. One of the most effective ways workers can stay productive is by taking breaks throughout the day.

For full-time remote employees, burnout is one of the most common dangers of working from home. A 2019 survey suggests that 82% of remote workers in the U.S. experience work fatigue with over half reporting that they work longer hours than those in the office.

If yes, you've come across the most common challenge of working remote – the missing of direct and emotional communication. Co-located teammates have direct interaction so that they can understand the attitude and perspective. These can be acquired through speeches, facial expressions, tones, etc.

Example 1: "I enjoy the flexibility that working from home allows. When I'm able to set my own hours, it helps me stay on task for a specific amount of time. This translates to a higher quality of work and a better job performance overall." Example 2: "I love the distraction-free atmosphere that remote work provides.

The majority of respondents like working from home. When asked if they enjoyed working from home, 82% agreed or strongly agreed. 60% said they feel less stressed working from home, and 66% thought that they were more productive working from home.

Remote workers report better balance, more productivity

Teleworkers say they're choosing to stay home for better work-life balance, productivity or because they've relocated away from the office. Fewer people say Covid is the main reason why they're working from home (42% now vs. 57% in 2020).

You can work from home full-time or part-time, depending on your job and company policy. People who work from home most of the time are usually called remote workers. More and more remote jobs emerge every day worldwide, as companies realize they don't need people to be co-located in the same building.

It can even increase productivity and employee morale to work remotely. Working from home allows employees to enjoy more flexibility since they can often work whenever they are more creative. The advantage of work-life balance is what motivates many employees to join the remote workforce.