D.C.-based B2B research firm Clutch says 44% of all workers are now currently working from home five or more days per week, up from 17% before the coronavirus pandemic, and 66% are working remotely at least part of the week.
Those of us who are might be getting used to it. And we’re finding there are some perks.
The top perk, according to those Clutch surveyed? No commute. Nearly half of those surveyed said so.
“We found that people enjoy that extra time they have from not having to drive or walk or take Metro. They are using it to exercise or to spend more time with their pets or kids. So they’re really taking advantage of not having to commute,” Clutch’s Kristen Herhold told WTOP.
Having a more flexible schedule — time to do a load of laundry, go for a walk, start your day later, or ending it earlier — was cited by 43% of those surveyed as an unexpected WFH perk.
The biggest downside about trying to get our jobs done efficiently from home are collaboration challenges. One-third of WFH workers say so.
“You have Slack. You have Zoom. You have all of these collaboration tools. But it really doesn’t replace in-person interaction,” Herhold said.
“If you’re in an office, you can quickly pop by somebody’s desk and ask them a question. Now, you have to email them or message them, and hope they are free and can respond.”
Frequent interruptions are also a challenge of working remotely, with 27% saying distractions — such as kids running into the office, the doorbell ringing or construction work outside — are their biggest headache.
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