Employers may be concerned about productivity now that millions of Americans are working remotely due to the coronavirus, but a new survey finds business may be thriving since the change.
Researchers asked over 1,600 individuals how they have adapted to working at home and one-third said they are more productive than when in the office.
Respondents noted they now have better control of their time and how much work is completed.
On the other hand, those who feel isolated or rely on others to do their tasks reported being less productive.
The US has been hit the hardest by the coronavirus with more than 1.2 million cases and over 76,000 deaths reported across the nation.
Since the outbreak made landfall many companies have told employees to work from home until further notice.
Although some employers may have been concerned about their staff’s productivity amid the changes, researchers at the University of Montreal found teleworking is improving business.
The analysis is based on data from over 1,600 respondents to an online questionnaire; 75 percent were women and 25 percent men, mostly from Quebec.
Some 85 percent were 40 years old, 85 percent have a university degree, and 70 percent work in the public and parapublic sectors.
One-third of respondents said they feel that their productivity has increased since having to work remotely—this, despite the fact that more than half of the study’s participants are teleworking alongside another person at home.
Tania Saba, co-author of the study, said: ‘It’s interesting to note that both men and women said they were more productive.’
‘It is not true to say that only women prefer to telework as a way of balancing their work and home life. The reasons are more complex and diverse.’
Those who said they are more productive tend to be over 40 years of age and spend less time tending to family and other obligations.
Some of the respondents noted that their workload had increased since moving to their homes, but they found they were able to better control their time and how much work they completed.
However, the researchers did find a group that was not enjoying teleworking,
Those who felt isolated and far from the decision-making process reported being less productive since teleworking.
‘This is as much a question of organizational isolation as it is of social isolation from colleagues,’ explained Saba.
Lower productivity was also reported by those who have relied on their colleagues to handle their work.
Eventually the pandemic will end and people will start returning to the office, but 39 percent of those surveyed reported they preferred to stay at home.
Source: Dailymail
