SWNYFLEXIBLE by Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
The traditional nine to five job really is dying as one in five office workers work remotely now, according to new research.
A study examining work-life structures found the concept of a regular eight-hour shift is in decline with one in five “office” workers now working remotely each week.
In fact, more than half (57 percent) of modern American office workers studied now have the ability to work remotely, if they choose to.
The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with GoToMeeting by LogMeIn, examined the working habits and preferences of 3,000 office workers.
It polled employees across America, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and India and found a notable rise in productivity occurring outside of the confines of an office setting.
For American workers, 59 percent revealed that they feel productive when working remotely.
And the balance is swinging in terms of where people feel they want to work. Although 49 percent still prefer being in an office, slightly more felt they do their best work outside the office.
Forty-three percent would ideally work from home, five percent feel they do their best work while traveling or on the move, and three percent cite a library, cafe or public space as their preferred place.
When it comes to work from home perks, more flexibility in hours and breaks tops the list of the benefits that workers feel when they get to work remotely.
But besides the obvious time saving that Americans get by not commuting to and from work, what other perks come from working from home?
The ability to work remotely is increasingly important to Americans and many associates the practice with higher productivity. Increased focus and fewer distractions than would normally be encountered in an office setting was the biggest reason to rate working at home so high.
Being able to work from home allows working parents the opportunity to be home and take care of their kids with ease.
In addition to being present for their children, remote workers express an increase in having a better mood overall when working remotely.
From taking care of their pets to living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, workers are finding a variety of benefits from working remotely.
In fact, only 38 percent of the American office workers surveyed revealed that they would prefer a traditional 9-5 office routine if given the choice.
The results showed that American office workers are looking for the perfect balance of office and work from home opportunities to keep them happy. Just 15 percent of American respondents would be interested in a position that entails remote working all of the time.
In fact, 43 percent of American office workers stated that their ideal working situation includes working part of the day/week in an office and part at home or on-the-go.
Remote work is so popular among modern American office workers that a whopping 63 percent admitted to being more likely to take a job with a remote work option than the same job without a remote work option.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that three in 10 American office workers would even take a lower paying job if they could work from home over a higher paying job without a remote work option.
When comparing American workers’ attitudes to those based internationally, this sentiment was echoed. Twenty-six percent of international office workers would take a lower paying job to have the ability to work remotely (versus 29 percent of American workers).
The results also showed American workers are embracing remote working slightly more than international staff — currently, 17 percent of overseas workers studied worked remotely in some capacity (versus 20 percent of Americans).
This might be because slightly more workers in the USA have the option to work remotely in their role if they want it (57 percent versus 53 percent).
While American workers check their emails notably more outside of the office in an average day — racking up 4.8 hours outside the 9-5 setting versus 3.5 hours for those overseas.
“Working remotely is something many employers are allowing their employees to do. With a flexible schedule, less commute time, and less distractions, office workers are really reaping the benefits that come with remote work.” stated Eduardo Cocozza, Vice President Marketing, Communications & Collaboration at LogMeIn.
Nearly half (49 percent) of American office workers would like their job less if their ability to work from home was taken away (versus 46 percent of international office workers).
Remote work is also — for the most part — a way for people to live their lives with a little less stress. Over a quarter (26 percent) of American office workers have had a major life decision influenced because of the option to work from home (versus 21 percent of international office workers).
The importance of having a work from home option for modern workers was abundantly clear. In fact, 86 percent of office workers think that the option of remote work opportunities is important when it comes to the future of business in general (versus 82 percent of international office workers).
“For businesses looking to grow and succeed in the future, offering work from home opportunities will be vital to their success. Even allowing employees to work from home once a week can boost productivity as well as morale. Long gone are the days of traditional office work in the confines of an office setting. Office workers are looking to live more environmentally friendly lives, save money on their commute, and have more flexible schedules which allow them to get more done and be more productive than if they had co-workers constantly coming up to them and distracting them in an office setting,” added Eduardo Cocozza.
Top 10 Benefits To Working Remotely For American Office Workers
More flexibility in hours/breaks
Save time by not commuting to and from work
Easier to focus on work; less distractions
Save money (transportation)
More productivity
Ability to take care of kids, family members
Better for mental health/ happiness
Ability to take care of pets
Easier to be accountable to oneself
Live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle
Top 5 Places To Work For American Office Workers
At the office
At home or home office
Library or other quiet, public location
In a coffee shop/cafe
While traveling (on a plane, bus, train)
