Report: Two-thirds of workers feel more productive working remotely than in an office

As the coronavirus pandemic has become a fixture of our lives, changing the way we conceive of school, home, and work, employees across the globe are grappling with a new way to maintain balance and productivity in the middle of uncertainty. But while the large-scale transition to remote work has not been easy, many employees have now become acclimated to their new situation–and many say that the working from home is actually helping them achieve more productivity. 

A new report from Lenovo, “Technology and the Evolving World of Work,” illustrates this point, as a whopping 63% say that they are currently more productive than they were in the office. The survey of more than 20,000 respondents from across the globe gauged attitudes toward the world of remote work, which, although not new, has become the de-facto situation for most businesses as a result of COVID-19. The respondents, from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, China, India and Japan, were questioned about the pros and cons of working from home, as well as how they have been able to manage their work-life balance.

SEE: Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs (TechRepublic Premium)

Other big takeaways from the report show that more than half (52%) of respondents expect to continue in this new normal workplace, even if/when restrictions are lifted. In terms of the costs of the transition, American employees have spent $348, on average, for technology improvements during this period: 40% of those surveyed increased tech spending, and the American figure is $70 higher than the global average. And 64% of respondents in the US cited physical pains like- headaches and difficulty sleeping as a negative consequence of working from home. 

On the plus side, many respondents said they have seen savings on things such as commuting expenses, meals, and professional attire, flexibility, and increased comfort while working from home. 

The tough part for most of those surveyed was balancing the various work and home duties, which has become increasingly complicated as many employees have new roles as caregivers or teachers for their children. They also reported that finding time to socialize and connect with colleagues has become increasingly difficult during these last few months.

SEE: Life after lockdown: Your office job will never be the same–here’s what to expect (cover story PDF) (TechRepublic)

“This data gave us valuable insights on the complex relationship employees have with technology as work and personal are becoming more intertwined with the increase in working from home,” Dilip Bhatia, vice president of global user and customer experience at Lenovo, said in the press release. “Respondents globally feel more reliant on their work computers and more productive but have concerns about data security and want their companies to invest in more tech training. We’re using these takeaways to improve the development of our smart technology and better empower remote workers of tomorrow.”

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Article source: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/report-two-thirds-of-workers-feel-more-productive-working-remotely-than-in-an-office/#ftag=RSS56d97e7