Survey Finds Out What Remote Workers Do When Working From Home

Survey Finds Out What Remote Workers Do When Working From HomeTaking a phone call, watching Netflix, cooking food, and caring for children are only some of the distractions remote workers deal with daily. And with the uncertainty of when they will be able to return to the office, many will continue juggling between different duties while working remotely.

Sixty-one percent of remote workers have been working away from the office for over a year, a new report by OfficeNeedle discovers. As they have settled into the new normal of having their home also be their office, they have explored many different situations in which they work. Surveying 670 worldwide remote workers, this study set out to discover what work-from-home employees get up to during shifts and what distracts them the most.

How Mobile Phones Distract Remote Workers

Identified as the biggest distraction for 56% of surveyed remote workers, mobile phones allow many different uses. Remote users do not only use them for work-related purposes. Instead, they also scroll through social media, take phone and video calls, play video games, and more.

Followed closely behind mobile phones, the report suggests 44% are also distracted by social media. Out of the abundant amount of platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube are the most commonly used during office hours without relations to the job.

Instant messaging apps are mentioned by half of the survey participants as a distraction from work, as well. Moreover, talking on the phone or taking video calls unrelated to work is a common practice for half of them. Most of them (31%) spend under half an hour doing so.

Other than mobile phones, remote workers also seem to be watching Netflix and other such providers, as the report suggests.

Cooking & Cleaning Instead Of Working?

It is not just technology and smart devices that take up the attention of remote workers during the shift. For instance, 67% of all the remote workers who took the survey also cook while working from home. Moreover, 33% take under half an hour to prepare some food to fuel their stomachs and brains.

Doing house chores is not at all uncommon in the middle of a work-from-home shift. According to the survey report, 77% spend time on house chores when they should be working instead. Out of them, 26% need more than half an hour but less than a full hour to finish their chores before they can go back to their work duties.

Helping Others And Self-Care

The practice of taking a nap during office hours exists among 33% of participants. Most of them spend between 30 minutes and an hour of their working day napping. Also, almost half of them (43%) shower during office hours.

When it comes to parents who work from home, 31% of all the parents take care of their offspring during working hours every day. Besides that, remote workers who don’t live alone also admit to helping other house members with tasks when they should be working instead. Moreover, 41% of dog owners walk their dogs every day during office hours. Some shop online at AmericanListed, while others step outside to grab a drink.


Also published on Medium.