2nd February 2023

Over a quarter of work from home Brits admit they’re less productive working at home 

 

• Chores, distractions and feeling disconnected from colleague’s cause WFH productivity to wane 
• Work from home productivity drops as workers pretend to be busy, tackle chores and feel the pressure is off from bosses 
• Brits spending on average 2.9 days per week working from home 
• On average nation has spent £4,300 in adapting their homes for hybrid working 

 

Work from home fatigue kicks in for over a quarter of Brits (27 per cent) who admit they’re less productive when they’re working from home, compared to working from the office. 

 

That includes one in six (16 per cent) who admitted to being more productive when they were working from home during the pandemic, however, now they’re used to hybrid working they’re less productive when working from home. 

 

That’s according to new research from Vita Group’s ‘Future Living Report’, a major study into behavioural trends changing the way the nation lives, the extensive fieldwork was conducted with over 8,000 Brits covering a host of topics including the rise of pets in the home, the cost of living crisis, energy saving and hybrid working, for which over 1,000 subjects who actively hybrid work completed. 

 

And whilst the majority of the nation feel there are huge benefits to working from home – for some, distractions, a lack of connection to their colleagues, and their home’s work set up is making their productivity wane.  

 

Of those who felt they were less productive, almost half (47 per cent) said there are too many distractions at home. One in four (25 per cent) admitted to tackling household chores, whereas they didn’t during Covid. One in six (17 per cent) admitted they pretend to be busy working, even if they’re not. And having earnt the respect of their bosses, one in seven (14 per cent) feel they can chill a little more now. Finally, almost one in ten (9 per cent) said that they don’t feel like their boss is on their case as much as when they were working from home during the pandemic.

 

For one in seven (15 per cent), working from home is making them feel more isolated and one in six (17 per cent) said they feel disconnected from their work colleagues. 

 

Hybrid working Brits now work from home for 2.9 days per week, with just over a quarter working from home twice a week (26 per cent) and 22 per cent working from home three days a week. This data is relatively consistent across different age groups, incomes, and localities. 

 

For many, these days are defined by their employer with almost a third (31 per cent) saying hybrid working is allowed for a set number of days each week. Two fifths of those hybrid working feel their employer actively encourages them to work from home. Just one in twenty (6 per cent) feel their employer has negative feelings towards working from home, allowing it under extenuating circumstances or frowning upon it. 

 

Working from home isn’t all plane sailing for hybrid workers. Over a quarter (27 per cent) craved better separation from work and home life, one in six (17 per cent) feel like their house is a mess all the time, one in six have to juggle space, working around other household members (16 per cent), finally, one in eight (13 per cent) feel they have lost crucial space in the home. 

 

That’s despite three fifths of people (60 per cent) having made some form of adaptation to their home in-order to create a better place to work from, it includes one in nine (11 per cent) who have made major alterations to their home. A further one in eight (12 per cent) have plans to make alterations to their home in the near future to improve their home workspace. Just a quarter (27 per cent) of those people we spoke to hadn’t made any adaptations to their  and had no plans to. 

 

It means that Brits spent on average stumped up £4,303.10 on adapting their current homes to create a better environment to work in. This includes one in ten (10 per cent) who spent at least £5,000 on upgrades. It’s in the capital where the highest spending took place with households shelling out £8,850 on average and driving up the national average which would be £3,550 if you removed London from the equation. Higher earners (those earning over £50K+) spent £5,410 on average compared to those earning under £50K which spent on average £3,100. 

 

This isn’t something only homeowners did either – on average those living in private rented accommodation spent £2,714 on adapting their home for hybrid working, albeit considerably less than those who own their own property, who on average spent £5,686 on adaptations. 

 

For the majority, this meant redesigning a room to create more space for a desk (48 per cent) or converting an existing room into an office (44 per cent). One in twelve (8 per cent) converted an existing outbuilding such as a summer house or a shed into a garden office, and one in twenty (5 per cent) purchased an outbuilding to create a garden office. One in twenty converted their garage into an office, and one in twenty-five (4 per cent) extended their home to create a home office, just three per cent went into their loft. 

 

Currently, almost two fifths of hybrid workers (38 per cent) consider their home too small for hybrid working. One in ten hybrid workers (11 per cent) we spoke to have resorted to moving home in order to find a place which is more functional for their hybrid work-life and one in five (19 per cent) are seriously considering moving home in order to find a better hybrid working environment. 

 

Collectively, it means that almost two thirds (63 per cent) have moved, are seriously considering moving or would consider moving home in order to find a place which creates a more functional environment for working from home. 

 

Whilst working from home is causing some pinch points for households as they try to make the home multi-purpose and productive, two fifths (39 per cent) championed the benefits of being able to spend more time with family and friends, for a quarter (25 per cent), it has had a positive effect on their mental health, they are more focussed and less stressed, and one in six (17 per cent) feel it has also had a positive effect on their physical health.

 

Almost three quarters (72 per cent) feel they are more productive when they work from home. And almost nine in ten hybrid workers (87 per cent) feel positively towards working from home, with almost three fifths (59 per cent) really enjoying working from home and over a quarter (28 per cent) who wish they could work from home more. Just one in seven Brits (13 per cent) wish they could work from home less and be in the office more. 

 

David Ancell, Chief Brand Officer for Vita Group which commissioned the Future Living Report said: “As Britain’s businesses try to tackle rising inflation and a host of global economic pressures, it needs its workforce to be firing on all cylinders. Hybrid working has changed the way we live and work forever, it’s something we love and have invested thousands into adapting our homes to make it work. It’s also packed with huge benefits which employers can see, no commuting, more family time, better mental wellbeing, but it doesn’t work for everyone. 

 

“It’s clear that for some, productivity is down, their homes aren’t working for them, they’re feeling isolated, disconnected and need to spend more time as an integral part of the team. During the pandemic, people working from home felt connected through adversity, some of those motivating factors aren’t there anymore, and so, employers need to find ways to have open and honest conversations with their colleagues, adjusting their policies for those who need more contact and stimulus whether that’s at home or in the office, without this, this small group of people are going to feel more isolated and lacking clear purpose.

 

“The home is now expected to deliver more – having a poor home workspace, or no workspace can really affect productivity and reduce people’s ability to focus as they try to do their best from their sofa or bed. From functional, ergonomic desks which enjoy natural light, to quiet spaces away from other household members to take a call, for people to get the most out of working from home, they need to invest into their space. It’s why we continue to invest millions into adding more workspace within our amenity. At any given day, a building with 1,000 residents can expect to see up to and over 400 people working from home, so creating as much out of apartment workspace to marry with their in-apartment space provides extra functionality, reducing work from home stress, increasing wellbeing, and productivity.” 

 

ENDS