New study from NoCo reveals the pros and cons of working from home.
46% of workers surveyed say remote working has improved their productivity but 64% of those working from home say they miss the social aspect of a workplace.
New research from hybrid workplace firm NoCo also reveals that workers cite a significant drop (39%) in stress levels while working from home.
“We have all become accustomed to the remote working lifestyle over the last two years which means it has to be factored in to an employers offer when trying to attract and retain talent going forward. ”
The research was carried out to access insights from employees who are currently working remotely in some capacity, and examine the challenges and opportunities that come with different types of remote working situations.
Opportunities and challenges
Brian Moran, NoCo
The study revealed that while there are benefits of working remotely from home including less time spent commuting (82%), better work-life balance (73%) and improved productivity (46%), there are also significant challenges that come with a fully remote ‘work-from-home’ environment including:
- 32% confirm there is a higher utility cost when working from home
- 64% confirm there the social aspect of work is significantly lacking when working from home
- 30% confirm a lower broadband quality when working from home
While the study reveals 93% of employers currently facilitate a ‘work-from-home’ option, 62% of those surveyed would like their employer to offer a ‘closer-to-home’ workspace as an alternative.
Over half (56%) of respondents said they would use this space if it was provided, with a further 11% looking to use this option on a full-time basis. 81% would be more likely to consider an employment opportunity if there was a closer to home workspace available to them.
65% of respondents believe that working from a ‘closer-to-home’ workspace would help alleviate some of the challenges faced with working from home.
When asked to rate their at-home workspace based on comparing the quality of the furniture, technology, workspace size and comfort, adequate levels of light, air circulation, heating and cooling, less than a third (27%) stated their space was similar to the office standard and almost four in ten (36%) admitted their workspace either could or needed to improve.
“As our research clearly highlights, there is no shortage in demand across the country for remote working options from employers,” said Brian Moran, co-founder of NoCo.
“While 93% of employers are offering a ‘work-from-home’ option, our research shows that employees are seeking an alternative solution to combat the challenges that we all experience while working from home.
“At NoCo, our service includes a combination of remote and in-office benefits which provides both employers and employees with a balanced alternative. By offering a closer-to-home workspace to employees, employers avoid the risk of losing their talent to competitors both here and internationally.
“We have all become accustomed to the remote working lifestyle over the last two years which means it has to be factored in to an employers offer when trying to attract and retain talent going forward. NoCo’s services offer a compromise of working from home and working from the office full time.”
