Survey Finds Working From Home Has So Many Benefits, 48% of Workers Would Take Pay Cut to Continue

Although adults around the world have been forced to start working from home amidst the novel coronavirus outbreaks, a global poll of 2,250 office workers suggests that many of them are actually much happier working from home.

Not only that, 77% believe working from home is one of the most effective ways to help the environment.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with GoTo by LogMeIn, aimed to uncover how office workers feel about working from home and their environmental impact. The poll included 1,000 U.S. office workers, 250 office workers in India, the UK, Brazil, and Germany, 125 office workers in Australia and 125 office workers in New Zealand.

With a whopping 84% of respondents worrying about their environmental impact, over 75% of respondents say their commute to work is something they feel guilty about when it comes to the daily impact it has on the environment.

The average office worker surveyed revealed they used to spend nearly an hour every single day commuting to and from their jobs—that’s five hours each week office workers could get back by working from home.

Additionally, the poll revealed that 48% of participants would happily take a pay cut if it meant they could work from home indefinitely.

“We’ve long seen the benefits of remote work to allow employees to have more flexible schedules, but as most of the world has turned to full-time remote working amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the unexpected benefits is the impact this is already having on the environment,” said Mark Strassman, SVP and GM for Unified Communications & Collaboration at LogMeIn.

And it’s not just the environmental benefit of working from home that proved appealing to workers. In addition to saving time with their commute (72%), office workers surveyed say saving money (66%) is a huge perk to working from home.

Other benefits associated with working remotely include the ability to spend more time with family and friends (56%), feeling happier (45%)—and actually being more productive (37%).

Over half surveyed (57%) revealed working from home provides them with the ability to embrace a more flexible schedule while a further 48% say they can save money on things like their commute or childcare when they work remotely.

Beyond that, 56% say they simply enjoy the ability to wear whatever they want when working from home.

Another 46% of those studied say one of the best things about working remotely is the close access to their kitchen while a further 44% can get some of their weekend chores out of the way.

“It’s clear from our survey that office workers are concerned about the impact their behavior is having on the environment,” continued Strassman. “And allowing them to work full-time or even part-time remote can help to mitigate carbon emissions, save employees’ time and ultimately create a work culture where employees are happier and more productive.”

TOP 5 PERKS OF WORKING FROM HOME…
1. Flexible schedule 52%
2. Saving money 48%
3. Access to kitchen 47%
4. Wearing whatever they want 45%
5. Completing weekend to-do’s 44%

Credit: GoodNewsNetwork

Why The Humanity Post?

The World Health Organisation has named depression as the greatest cause of suffering worldwide. In the U.S., 1 out of 5 deals with depression or anxiety. For youth, that number increases to 1 in 3.

The good news is that 40% of our happiness can be influenced by intentional thoughts and actions, leading to life changing habits. It’s this 40% that The Humanity Post  help to impact.