Only 7% choose the office for productivity

Employees these days have a lot of choice when it comes to where they work. The internet and improved technology has made it so we can work from virtually anywhere. But where do employees go to improve their productivity? According to a FlexJobs survey, it’s certainly not the office.

The survey of more than 3100 professionals reveals that only 7% of respondents choose the office as their most productive environment. More than half (51%) said their home is their preferred place to maintain productivity. Meanwhile, 8% like to work at a coffee shop, co-working space, library, or any place other than the office. Another 8% said they go to the office but only outside of normal working hours.

Despite the ease of remote working, 26% of respondents said they have to go to the office during working hours because company policy prevents them from leaving. However, 65% think they would be much more productive if they were able to telecommute.

The top reasons they believe remote working boosts productivity are:

• Fewer interruptions from colleagues (75%)
• Fewer distractions (75%)
• Less frequent meetings (69%)
• A reduction in office politics (68%)
• Reduced stress from commuting (67%)
• A more comfortable office environment (51%).

Working parents make up the largest proportion of people who prefer to work remotely (39%), followed by freelancers (26%), introverts (21%), entrepreneurs (20%), carers (16%), and disabled or chronically ill employees (11%).

The survey also shows the sacrifices people are willing to make in order to work from home, including a whopping 80% who said they would take a 10-20% pay cut. A further 22% are willing to forfeit vacation time and 15% would give up employer-match pension schemes.

Companies who are hesitant to allow flexible working should take note of the fact that 81% of those surveyed said they would be more loyal to their employer if they were given the freedom to work from home.

Read the full survey results at bit.ly/2ctdiFe