Are remote workers really working all day? Here's what they're doing instead
eu.usatoday.com
Remote workers often brag about how productive they are at home, but a new survey sheds light on what they're really doing all day.

My favorite quote:

While employees in the office might kill time messaging friends or flipping through TikTok, remote workers take advantage of being far from the watchful gaze of bosses to chip away at personal to-do lists or to goof off.

Nearly half of remote workers multitask on work calls or complete household chores like unloading the dishwasher or doing a load of laundry, according to the SurveyMonkey poll of 3,117 full-time workers in the U.S.

Oh noes, people actually doing things that are useful for their families instead of even more computer time.

It’s insane that this is even considered strange or surprising. When I work from home, I take longer lunch breaks and I often stop working earlier, but I’m still three times as productive compared to sitting in an office.

At home, I actually get focused time to do something and think. At the office, this is extreamly difficult with all the distractions and noise constantly interrupting my train of thought.

  • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
    104·
    17 hours ago

    The first hour in the office was spent staring at the screen wiggling the mouse from time to time when the screen saver came on because too tired from commuting every day. But, it was at the office so it was productive staring I guess.

    • coyootje@lemmy.world
      55·
      17 hours ago

      Haha it’s so ridiculous that these articles never take into consideration that people in the office don’t have a lot of productive time.

      I had the same, I would have a somewhat easy first hour, then spend 2 to 3 hours really focusing and then I’d basically be done for the day and would spend some time idling after lunch until I deemed it was an appropriate time to leave and “work some more from home”.

      My best year billability wise was the first year of the covid lockdowns, I managed to generate something like 25% more just because of being able to work from home and cutting back on the travel time to customers and being able to multi-task occasionally when I had a quiet day for a customer. I’m glad I live in the Netherlands, hybrid/remote working seems like it’ll remain over here at least.

      • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
        28·
        16 hours ago

        And they they go on about the free flow of ideas, innovations and cooperation. Please, we were all sitting there with headphones trying to isolate ourselves to get anything done because some manager would always be on a loud phone call and using a meeting space to work was forbidden.

        Driving to customers or flying to the other side of the world for a meeting was such a big time sink.

        It also reminds me of the story of Rotterdam harbour where they just couldn’t find any people anymore. Turns out that the cost of commuting was so high, people made more money doing lower paid work closer to home.

        • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
          2·
          10 hours ago

          Ah the bullshit justifications of open office plans. If I want free communication with my coworkers I’ll go communicate with them. If I need to be left alone to focus let me

        • CephalotrocityEnglish
          141·
          16 hours ago

          Turns out that the cost of commuting was so high, people made more money doing lower paid work closer to home.

          This is true for a lot of people everywhere. It’s often ridiculous the amount of time and money lost from commutes that gets forgotten about.

          For me commuting outside the city costs at least an hour of time every day, and $1+/hour in fuel weekly that I don’t get paid. For me WFH is like a $1.50+/hr raise that is far more convenient and stress reducing than a better paying job.