More Employees Are Working From Home Because They Like It

As the pandemic continues to evolve and more and more companies are broadly open for business, a change has occurred in American employees' work preferences. More employees are now working from home by choice rather than necessity. What began as a concern for COVID-19 has morphed into an attitudinal change with long-term societal implications. People tried working from home because they had to and the simple fact is many like it. A lot. More than they expected to.

Despite occasional distractions, the benefits of remote work generally exceed the small drawbacks.

Source: Ketut Subiyanko/Pexels

Survey Findings

A study earlier this year from Pew Research, "Covid-19 Pandemic Continues to Reshape Work in America," underscores these feelings. Following are some of the survey's key findings:

Prior to the pandemic, 57 percent of employees "rarely or never" worked from home.

For those who have a workplace outside of home, 61 percent are now choosing not to go into it; earlier in the pandemic, this number was only 36 percent—although it's true many businesses were closed at the time, so they may not always have had a choice. Regardless, the reality is large numbers of employees tried something new and found they liked it. The research states that for those who can utilize a remote work option, 78 percent say "they'd like to continue to do so after the pandemic."

Importantly (especially from the perspective of a former manager who has always believed strongly in the strong motivational value of employee development), 72 percent of employees feel working from home has not affected their ability to advance.

Benefits of Working From Home

These data are entirely consistent with my own observations and discussions I've had with employees. Let's consider some substantive benefits working from home can provide:

• Less time spent commuting. I always remember a conversation I once had with a colleague who was relocating to rural New England from New Jersey. The main reason? His daily commute from New Jersey into New York City was two-and-a-half hours. Each way. That's five hours a day, more than one full day a week. As preposterous as that may sound, it's hardly unique. Whether it's five hours or 25 minutes, the time isn't your own. Who needs it...if you don't need to do it?
• Less micromanagement. I remember a conversation I once had with the owner of a successful tire business. "People like having the boss around," he observed. Yeah, well...truth be told, not really, I'd have to say. It all depends on one's relationship with the boss. Employees find few things more nettlesome than micromanagement, and there are plenty of micromanagers around. Having an overinvolved boss constantly looking over your shoulder is plain old stressful. However, let me also be clear about one other thing: If you can't successfully get the required work done from home, or if you abuse the privilege, all bets are off. As a longtime manager, I'll agree with the sentiment some of our more folksy executives used to express: "That dog don't hunt." For remote arrangements to fully succeed, employees have to be fully productive. End of story.
• More free time and better work–life balance. Less time spent commuting means less time rushing around and more time doing things you want to do. One employee described how a simple, peaceful lunchtime walk in a nice park with a good view near her home contributed to her general sense of well-being. Similarly, another person enjoyed running after work, and without having to fight traffic driving home he could simply lace on his running shoes and step out the door. These are small but by no means insignificant work–life improvements.
• Better for the environment. Last but not least, especially for those regularly involved in individual car commuting, as I was for a quarter of a century—it's a simple equation: Less commuting equals less pollution. One of the few positive aspects of the pandemic was that countries quickly saw improvements in air quality during lockdowns (gains that were reversed when lockdowns were lifted). Still, on an individual basis, employees at least can know that working from home is an environmentally solid choice.

Managements have responded in mixed ways to this new remote-working world. For those types of businesses where it is indeed a reasonable possibility, some have embraced it and some have disliked it. Reluctant managers will do well to keep in mind statistics such as these noted in the Pew research; the broad enthusiasm for work-from-home options will continue to be an important element in recruiting and retaining good employees.