Over four in ten employees working from home are working longer hours than they would in a standard working environment.
An estimated 90pc of employees working across Ireland are now working from home in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new survey carried out by e-recruitment platform IrishJobs.ie.
According to the survey, more than four in 10 of those currently working from home have found that they are working longer hours at home than they would in a normal working day.
“While remote working may be a relatively new concept for some, the adaptability of both employees and employers has been remarkable”
Of those working longer hours, 21pc find that they cannot switch off from work, 12pc feel that they are working less efficiently and 11pc claim to have a heavier workload than usual.
Despite working longer hours, more than half of employees try to maintain a regular routine when working from home, with 55pc of respondents saying that they still wake up at the same time as they would if they were going to the office.
However, 42pc of employees admitted to sleeping in slightly longer but say that despite this, they continue to start work at their usual time. A further 94pc ensure that they take a regular break every day when working from home, with a third of those taking their break at the same time as they would on a normal working day in the office.
Distractions and disruptions
While the majority of employees try to maintain a regular working routine, many are juggling various personal priorities, particularly those with young families or vulnerable dependents.
Just over half of employees surveyed are interrupted during their working day by family members and 22pc are dividing their time between a job and home-schooling children. Daily chores are also proving disruptive with 21pc surveyed finding the washing machine to be a distraction during the working day.
“It is inevitable that we will all experience dips in morale, motivation and productivity”
When it comes to finding a place to work at home, the kitchen table (42pc) is the most popular choice of workspace for employees. Just 20pc of employees surveyed have a dedicated home office space, while 14pc said they have a spare room in the house to work from.
Almost 80pc of employees working from home admitted to missing their usual working environment, nine in 10 of those saying they miss socialising with work colleagues.
Commenting on the results of the survey, Orla Moran, general manager at IrishJobs.ie said: “The measures that have been put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 have undoubtedly changed our normal way of living.
“When we look at the workplace, there has been significant levels of change in recent weeks. While remote working may be a relatively new concept for some, the adaptability of both employees and employers has been remarkable.
“However, it is inevitable that we will all experience dips in morale, motivation and productivity. Employers should look to take reasonable steps to manage this.”
IrishJobs.ie analysed the data collected from 877 respondents to a survey posted on the website website in March 2020.
By Stephen Larkin
Published: 28 April, 2020
