Survey: Workers say the move to remote work is more positive than expected

The move to remote work during the pandemic has been a mixed bag, but for many employees the change has been more positive than negative, a new study suggests.

The report, from Ninetex, a process management and automation firm, draws on a survey of 1,000 enterprise employees in the U.S. who work for large companies. According to the survey, 70 percent of respondents said that their experiences working from home have been better and more productive than they expected. They reported positives that included: more family time, no commute, fewer interruptions, and improved work-life balance.

Related: Working from home means skipping the commute—and the shower

However, a significant number also reported concerns about being overworked, or not having the right living space to do their jobs efficiently. The company’s report also recommended companies devote more focus to automation tools and workflow management in order to improve the remote work experience.

Study finds remote work exceeds expectations…

One interesting set of findings from the study is around the expectations of employees when it comes to remote work. Workers were surveyed at the beginning of the pandemic and then six months later. The results showed that employees’ remote working situations were, overall, more positive and less negative than they had expected.

For example:

• 62% of those surveyed initially had positive views on how remote work would affect their ability to do their job: 68% reported a positive view after six months.
• 60% said remote work would be a positive for work/life balance; six months later that number had increased to 65%.
• Among negative expectations was the finding that 25% expected a negative effect on cross-team collaboration—but only 16% reported a negative effect after six months.
• In overall working relationships with colleagues, 24% those surveyed said they expected a negative effect; but after six months, only 15% reported a negative effect.
• Similarly, 23% expected a negative effect on their team’s ability to do its job; only 11 percent reported that negative result after six months.
• In addition, 20% expected a negative effect on work-life balance; but only 15 percent of respondents found a negative effect after six months.

Other findings point to positive effects of remote working. “Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they’re getting their work done in fewer hours per week since transitioning to full-time remote,” the report said. “Of those respondents, 41% — the largest group — said they’re getting their work done in far fewer hours now per week.”

…But many workers will be glad to return to the office

The overall impact of more switching to remote work can differ depending on workers’ life situations. For example, workers with dependents saw more remote work challenges than those without dependents, the study said. Half of workers with children said they were averaging more than nine hours a day on the computer or doing work. Those with adult dependents reported those longer workdays at 45%. But only 33% of those with no dependents reported a longer workday.

Given that, it may not be a surprise that 62% of those with children, and 60% of those with adult dependents, said they were excited to return to the office as soon as possible. Only 29% of workers without dependents agreed with that sentiment.

“The multitasking required to manage a full-time workload, childcare and e-learning responsibilities likely translates to logging longer hours since toggling between tasks is associated with diminished productivity,” the study said. “It’s not surprising, therefore, that workers with dependents are eager to return to the office where boundaries are less blurred.”

In addition, the pandemic is associated with increased mental health challenges for workers overall. The study found that nearly half of respondents (49%) said they are more sad and lonely than usual after switching to remote work. But the study found that these feelings were attributed to virus-related concerns and restrictions such as travel restrictions, rather than directly tied to remote work. In addition, 56% of respondents said non-work related events are having an impact on their work productivity.

Other issues have arisen with the pandemic, such as difficult remote work situations caused by limited living quarters or living with friends/relatives; reduced pay was also a negative reported by many respondents. And the reported positive remote work experiences were higher among workers in executive or management roles. Entry-level workers reported more overwork, confusion, and living situation challenges.