Remote work statistics 2022

How many times have you heard that “remote work is here to stay”?

Does it surprise you to learn that, since 2009, the number of people working from home has increased by 159%?

According to the data gathered by Global Workplace Analytics, 4.7 million US employees were working from home before the pandemic. 

A year into the pandemic, statistics from Upwork’s ​​Future Workforce Report 2021 showed that more than half the US population was working remotely at least to some extent. Furthermore, 40.7 million Americans are expected to be fully remote in the next five years.  

What’s more, in their 2022 State of Remote Work Report, Buffer found that 97% would recommend remote work to others and would continue to work remotely, at least for some time or for the rest of their careers. 

On the other hand, only 26% of employers are ready to offer a fully remote work environment in the future. 

As we dive deeper into remote work statistics, we’ll make sure to provide the answers to the following questions and beyond: 

• Why do people choose to work remotely?
• What type of work arrangement do people prefer?
• What changes has remote work introduced?
• What are the most common challenges and benefits of remote work?
• Is remote work truly a productivity booster?
• How do companies support remote work?
• How much do remote organizations rely on collaboration tools?
• Can remote work be secure?
• What is the future of remote work?

Statistics that answer the question: Why remote work? 

First things first — let’s learn why people choose to work remotely. 

When it comes to the overall remote work experience, Buffer’s 2022 State of the Remote Work Report revealed that 61% of people consider it a positive experience. It’s encouraging to know that no one said that remote work was or is a negative experience for them. 

So, why do people want to work from home, especially when they haven’t worked remotely before the pandemic?

Some people choose to work remotely or from home

For some, working remotely or working from home is a matter of choice.  

According to one study done by Pew Research Center explaining how the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America, 57% of respondents said they rarely or never worked from home prior to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The study compares data from October 2020 and January 2022. 

Interestingly, only 36% of respondents said they chose not to work from their office in October 2020. In January 2022, 61% of respondents said the same. 

In October 2020, 64% said they worked from home because they couldn’t go to the office. The number dropped to 38% in January 2022.  

Overall, people are consciously choosing to work from home — especially in 2022, when companies are starting to reopen their offices. 

People…	October 2020	January 2022
With jobs that could be done from home but who are working from home all or most of the time	71%	59%
Who chose not to work from their office	36%	61%
Working from home because their workplace is closed or unavailable to them	64%	38%

Some people prefer to work remotely or from home

Some people simply like to work from home. 

In their State of Remote Work 2021 Report, Owl Labs found that 73% have returned to work in the office at least one day a week. Despite returning to work from the office, 57% said that they still preferred working from home full-time.

The Pew Research study also found that the reasons for working from home have stayed the same — only the numbers have changed. 

For example, 76% of people now prefer to work from home — compared to 60% in October 2020. 

Also, people are now less afraid of being exposed to COVID-19 — from 57% in October 2020 to 42% in January 2022. 

Opinion	October 2020	January 2022
Prefer working from home	60%	76%
Afraid of being exposed to the coronavirus	57%	42%
Chose to work from home due to child care responsibilities	45%	32%
Chose to work from home because they have moved away from their place of work	9%	17%

Some people believe that remote work contributes to their happiness at work

According to The future of remote work report 2022 published by Zapier, people choose to work remotely because it makes them happy. 

They also believe that having a work-life balance is key to their happiness at work — 96% agree with this statement. 

The report also revealed that remote work affects people’s lives outside of work, too. 

For example, the majority of respondents appreciate the flexibility that remote work gives them to attend to their family life. 

Others also say that remote work improves people’s morale and helps with their savings. 

When it comes to the benefits, people believe remote work…	Percentage
Contributes to happiness at work	91%
Gives the flexibility to attend to family life	66%
Improves morale	62%
Improves savings	61%

In the Owl Labs State of remote work 2021, 84% of employees shared that working remotely after the pandemic would make them happier. Some would even be willing to take a pay cut for the possibility to work remotely.

Highly educated employed adults with higher incomes choose remote work more often

As Pew Research reported, employees who are highly educated and earn higher salaries are the most likely to say that their work can be done from home.

About 38% of US adults who are full-time or part-time employees say that they can do their job from home, for the most part. 62% say their jobs can’t be done remotely. 

Out of the 59% of employed adults with work-from-home jobs, 65% have a Bachelor’s degree and 67% are with upper income. 

How common is remote work, depending on income and education	Percentage
All employed adults with work-from-home jobs	59%
Bachelor’s degree +	65%
College or less	53%
Upper income	67%
Middle income	56%
Lower income	53%

Statistics showing what working from home really looks like 

Now, regardless of why people opt for remote work, remote work experience can be different for each employee. 

With the sudden expansion of remote work, both employers and employees had to adapt quickly to the changes. 

This mostly referred to getting comfortable with the new work and living conditions. 

So, what does working from home really look like? 

Where do remote employees usually work from? 

How many moved in search of work?

Let’s dive deeper into what working from home truly looks like. 

The modern remote office isn’t strictly a ‘real home office’

Those who worked from home during the pandemic didn’t always work from the comfort of their homes, Owl Labs found in their State of Remote Work 2021 Report. 

Although a real home office was the most popular choice for 73% of people, others worked from their bedrooms and closets, too.  

Modern remote office choices	Percentage of people
Home office	73%
Bedroom	39%
Dining room	39%
Couch	38%
Coworking space	31%
Coffee shop or restaurant	25%
Outdoors	24%
Kitchen	21%
Closet	21%

Many had to move, some even a few times

Moving isn’t an unknown for remote employees. 

In addition to changing their place of work, some remote workers changed their place of living, too. 

According to the State of Remote Work 2021 Report done by Owl Labs, people moved a lot during the pandemic. 

• About 78% moved away from an urban location. 
• Some 47% moved to suburbia.
• 41% moved to another state. 
• Only 13% moved to another country. 

Where did people move during the pandemic?	Percentage
Moved from an urban location	78%
Moved from an urban location to suburbia	58%
Moved from a suburban location	47%
Moved to another state	41%
Moved from suburbia to a rural location	24%
Moved from suburbia to an urban location	23%
Moved from an urban to a rural location	20%
Moved to another country	13%

Statistics also showed that younger generations moved to suburbia, older generations moved to urban areas.

Some had to move permanently during the pandemic, Owl Labs report also found. 

For example, statistics for those aged between 24 and 40 revealed the following: 

• 68% moved from urban to suburban areas.
• 63% moved from urban to rural areas. 
• 57% moved from suburban to rural places. 

Baby Boomers represented the largest portion of the group that moved from rural to urban regions (40%).

Also, about 35% of Baby Boomers moved to another state (35%).

Millennials accounted for 50% of the moves to another country, followed by Gen X at 33%.

Statistics showing the overall impact of remote work

Among employed adults who rarely or never worked from home before the COVID-19 but currently work from home at least some of the time, things have changed. 

The Pew Research Center study revealed the following. 

For 16%, it was harder to balance work and personal life. Yet, 64% of people found balancing work and personal life while working remotely much easier.

Balancing work and personal life	Percentage
Harder	16%
Easier	64%
The same	20%

Getting work done and meeting deadlines was harder for 10% of respondents. About 44% said this was easier when they started working remotely. 

Getting work done and meeting deadlines	Percentage
Harder	10%
Easier	44%
The same	46%

The majority of people (72%) believe that advancing in their careers isn’t closely related to their work arrangement. Only 13% said it’s harder to move forward when working remotely and 14% said it was easier. 

Advancing in career	Percentage
Harder	13%
Easier	14%
The same	72%

More than half of the respondents (60%) said it is harder to connect with their coworkers when they are working remotely. Only 4% think this is easier in a remote work setting. 

Connecting with their coworkers	Percentage
Harder	60%
Easier	4%
The same	36%

Let’s go further into detail and examine the impact of remote work:

• Across genders,
• Across generations,
• Across industries, and
• Across countries. 

Statistics showing the impact of remote work across genders 

According to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) estimates, 147 million women and 113 million men worked from home in 2019.

Worldwide, women only make up about 38% of the workforce. In remote work, they are the majority at 58%, data from GitLab’s Remote Work Report 2021 shows. 

Women are more likely to work from home

In 2019, women accounted for 56% of all home-based workers, ILO wrote in Working from home: From invisibility to decent work. 

The inclination of women to work from home is much higher than that of men:  

Tendency to work from home	Women	Men
Percentage	11.5%	5.6%

Why do women have a greater tendency to work from home?

Well, in addition to being employees, most women across the globe are also homemakers and caregivers. 

By choosing to work from their homes, they get a chance to combine their care responsibilities and paid work — even if it means working longer hours. 

Let’s explore what other benefits both women and men can enjoy when working from home. 

Women find it easier to get work done and meet deadlines when working remotely 

According to Pew Research findings, both men and women find it equally easy to balance work and personal life when working from home. 

Yet, when it comes to getting work done, meeting deadlines, and advancing in their careers, women seem to handle working from home better than men: 

Remote work makes it…	Women	Men
Easier to balance work and personal life	Equally likely	Equally likely
Easier to get work done/meet deadlines	51%	37%
Easier to advance in their career	19%	9%

Men are more likely to work 10+ hours a week when working remotely 

Putting in more hours seems reserved for men, Owl Labs report revealed. They are 41% more likely to work 10+ additional hours per week. 

In contrast, women report they are putting in the same number of hours as they did when working in the office.

Men would be less happy if they couldn’t work remotely anymore

If working remotely wouldn’t be an option anymore, 34% more men than women say they would stay at their job, but be less happy. 

Men are also 6x more likely to move so they could start their own business, Owl Labs also found. 

On the other hand, 2x more women would relocate for a better lifestyle. They are also more likely  to move to stay close to family and friends. 

Moreover, 34% more men than women say they would expect a pay increase if they had to go back to the office. 

Women report being more productive in remote settings

According to the information from Viewpoint on Remote Work Depends on Gender, Ethnicity, Industry published in SHRM, men and women agree that they are more productive when working remotely.

However, women reported being slightly more productive than men. 

Namely, 40% of women say they are more productive in a remote work environment while 35% of men feel the same. 

Statistics showing the impact of remote work across generations 

There are currently 5 generations making up the global workforce: 

• Traditionalist (76 to 99 years old)
• Baby Boomer (57 to 75 years old)
• Generation X (41 to 56 years old)
• Millennial (26 to 40 years old)
• Generation Z (25 years old and younger)

However, the workforce today mainly consists of Millennials and Gen Z, whose diverse people-oriented, and socially-responsible world views are making companies reevaluate the way they do business.

What’s more, it’s estimated that Millennials will make up about 75% of the global workforce by 2025. 

On the other hand, Gen Z is considered to be the future workforce — more and more Gen Zs are expected to join the global workforce as they age. 

But how has remote work impacted these two (and other) generations? 

What do they expect from their employers?

What are they ready to do to find the job that suits them best?

Let’s look at some data that show the impact of remote work across generations. 

Most Gen Z and Millennials want a hybrid or remote work arrangement 

According to Deloitte’s survey — based on the responses of 23,220 participants from 46 countries — 75% of Gen Zs and 76% of Millennials would prefer a hybrid or remote work arrangement.

In contrast, 19% of Gen Z and 20% of Millennials would choose a permanent in-office work environment. 

Preferences	Millennials	Gen Z
A hybrid or remote work arrangement	76%	75%
Always working remotely	14%	12%
Working in a hybrid company	62%	63%
A permanent in-office work environment	20%	19%

However, the same survey found that 49% of Gen Zs and 45% of Millennials currently have the option to work remotely at least some of the time. 

More than half of Millennials and Gen Z are considering a job change 

For Millennials and Gen Zs, job changes aren’t uncommon. These generations know what they look for in an employer and they aren’t afraid to keep looking until they find a perfect match. 

According to Microsoft’s Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work Report, 52% of Gen Z and Millennials are likely to consider changing employers in 2022.

Moreover, about 52% of Gen Z and Millennials combined may change jobs in the year ahead. 

By comparison, the same report found that only 35% of Gen X and Boomers say they’re considering a job change.

Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to change jobs to live in another location 

According to one LinkedIn article, Gen Z is the most mobile generation of all. 

In the US alone, their migration rate has increased by 23%. 

In its 2022 report, Microsoft found that 48% of Gen Z and 38% of Millennials are more willing to change jobs so they could live in a different location. 

On the other hand, just 27% of Gen X and 17% of Baby Boomers see this as an option. 

Gen Z is the generation most likely to shift to remote work 

Another finding by Microsoft showed that 56% of Gen Z are considering a shift to remote work in the year ahead.

To be able to work remotely, about 52% of Gen Z hybrid employees would move to a new location, too. 

Both Millennials and Gen Z are okay with leaving their current jobs 

In their 2021 survey, Deloitte found that nearly one in four Millennials respondents planned to leave their jobs within the year.  

Moreover, in their 2022 survey, Deloitte discovered that 40% of Gen Zs and almost 24% of Millennials would like to leave their jobs within two years. 

Furthermore, about 32% of Millenials and 35% of Gen Zs would leave their jobs without having another job waiting for them. 

According to the Owl Labs 2021 report, out of the 25% of people that quit or are looking to change jobs during the pandemic, Gen Z accounted for 62% compared to only 4% of Baby Boomers.

Pay is the main reason for job-hopping among Millennials and Gen Z

In their report that closely examined Millennials and Gen Zs, Deloitte found that pay is the main reason why they left a role in the last two years.

According to the previously mentioned Buffer report, Gen Z is more likely to approve of pay being tied to a specific location. On the other hand, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers are less likely to approve of this.

Both Millennials and Gen Z are very likely to earn more money through side jobs and businesses. 

In the upcoming year, as much as 70% of Gen Z are considering earning additional income outside their current employer via a side project or business, Microsoft’s latest report revealed. 

In addition, 67% of Millennials say they are considering earning more through side projects or business in the next year.

Moreover, another research conducted by the General Center for Kinetics, identified several factors that motivate Gen Z to continue working at a job after they’ve tried it for the first week. These are: 

• Flexible schedule, 
• Liking their boss, and 
• Bringing their authentic self to work.

Saving money is the biggest remote work benefit for Millennials and Gen Z 

For Millennials and Gen Z, the benefits of remote work vary. 

In their survey, Deloitte discovered the 5 most common benefits for Gen Z and Millennials employees working remotely:

• The biggest benefit is saving money — on commuting, clothing, dry cleaning, etc.
• Being able to relocate away from their place of work is also high on the list of benefits.
• For some, remote work made it easier to get work done, too.
• Remote work allows Millennials and Gen Z to free up their time to do things they care about. 
• Spending more time with family and friends is another important benefit for these two generations. 
• Finally, both generations think that remote work positively impacts their mental health. 

Statistics showing the impact of remote work across industries 

Taking into consideration the nature of each industry, it’s no wonder that not all industries have adapted to remote work in the same way. 

It’s also unsurprising that many couldn’t make the necessary adjustments to provide their workforce with the best remote working conditions. 

What industries offer the most opportunities for remote work?

What industries are the least likely to operate remotely? 

Let’s look at some data. 

Legal occupations had the most opportunities to work remotely 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from November 2021, about 50% of employees in legal occupations had the opportunity to work remotely.

Computer and mathematical occupations come in second, with 47.6% being allowed to work remotely. 

Business and financial services roles take the third place — 40.8%. 

Top 5 occupations with the best opportunities for remote work	Percentage
Legal	50.1%
Computer and mathematical	47.6%
Business and financial operations	40.8%
Management	29.6%
Architecture and engineering	29.3%

Software and IT industries are the most likely to embrace remote work 

In its Workplace Confidence Survey, LinkedIn found that US companies operating in the tech sector in 2021 were the most likely to offer full-time remote work — at 48% — and hybrid work — at 51%. 

Companies from the public administration sector were the least likely to have a full-time remote work option — at only 25%.

It’s interesting that the public administration sector was more likely to offer hybrid work — at 41% — and flexible hours — at 32%. This is slightly lower than the percentage of the legal sector offering hybrid work (49%) and a bit higher than the health care sector (40%).

Here’s the stance on remote work in a few other industries: 

Industries that are embracing remote work	Percentage
Software and IT	48%
Transportation and logistics	46%
Legal	41%
Finance	40%
Health care	36%
Manufacturing	33%
Education	31%
Public administration	25%

According to Canada’s Workforce Report, some industries are embracing remote work quicker than others. These four industries are leading the way in remote job postings: 

• Software and IT services — from 12.5% in September 2020, to 30% in September 2021. 
• Media and Communications services — from 12.5% in September 2020, to 21.3% a year later. 
• Wellness and Fitness industry— from 3.3% in September 2020 to 21.2% in September 2021.
• The Healthcare industry —  from 3.2% in September 2020 to 14.4% in September 2021.

For some industries and occupations, remote work isn’t an option 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some occupations and industries can’t operate in a remote work setting. Some of these include:

• Protective service, 
• Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance,
• Personal care and service, 
• Construction and extraction, and
• Farming, fishing, and forestry. 

Statistics showing the impact of remote work across countries 

Remote work is also referred to as: 

• Work from home, 
• Teleworking, or 
• Work from anywhere.

This is mostly because remote work allows people to work from anywhere around the globe. 

In this part, we’ll explore some numbers detailing the impact of remote work across countries, and answer the following questions:

• What countries are best for remote work? 
• Where is the internet speed the highest?
• Which countries are still resisting remote work? 

Portugal is ranked the best country for remote workers 

In their Work from Wherever Guide, Kayak has made a list of 100 best countries for remote workers. 

They ranked the countries based on 6 different categories. They compared the countries based on their remote working conditions but also on the opportunities they offer for exploring outside the usual 9–5 routine.

The six categories include: 

• Travel (accessibility; hotel, car, and fuel prices)
• Local costs (apartment rental prices per month and day; transport, food, and restaurant prices)
• Health and safety (political stability; air pollution; LGBT equality; road safety)
• Remote work (remote work visas; co-working spaces; internet speeds)
• Social life (English proficiency; culture; bars and clubs per capita)
• Weather (precipitation, temperature)

Portugal is first on this list, scoring 100 out of 100 points. It’s one of the first countries to have launched the world’s first digital nomad village, Digital Nomads Madeira.

Spain, Romania, Mauritius, and Japan follow suit, scoring slightly less than Portugal.  

Top 10 countries for remote workers and digital nomads	Points
Portugal	100/100
Spain	93/100
Romania	92/100
Mauritius	90/100
Japan	90/100
Malta	89/100
Costa Rica	86/100
Panama	85/100
Czech Republic	84/100
Germany	83/100

Let’s look at some interesting facts about the countries that rank high for remote work conditions:

• To attract more remote workers, Mauritius has established a renewable premium travel visa — with this visa, all eligible non-citizens can stay for a maximum period of a year.
• In Malta, remote workers can apply for a nomad residence permit if they earn a gross monthly income of €2,700. 
• Taking 11th place, Croatia also offers a digital nomad visa for remote employees. The country has recently expanded its short-term residency permits to welcome travelers from outside the European Union.

Lisbon is the top trending workcation destination

With endless possibilities and locations to choose from, remote workers can find it hard to pick their next “office”. 

To help narrow their choice down, Kayak made sure to examine the global data and choose the top-trending workcation destinations around the globe. 

Lisbon is first on the list, followed by San José, and São Paulo.  

Here’s a list of 10 cities that are a great choice for remote work, exploring, and new adventures. 

Top 10 trending workcation destinations
Lisbon (Portugal)
San José (Costa Rica)
São Paulo (Brazil)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Dublin (Ireland)
Milan (Italy)
Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)
San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Honolulu (Hawaii)
Mexico City (Mexico)

Most German businesses have a flexible working policy 

According to research conducted by Instant Offices, Germany is leading the remote and flexible work trend. 

In this country, 80% of businesses have flexible working policies. What’s more, 68% of their employees think flexible work is the new norm. 

According to the Ifo Institute, the number of people working from home has increased. At the moment, about 28.4% of employees currently work from home at least partially. In view of that, Germany is planning to grant a permanent legal right to work from home to its employees. 

The Netherlands follows suit with 75% of companies operating under flexible working policies and as many as 73% of employees considering this a new standard. 

In the UK, all workers can request flexible working under the Employment Rights Act, not just parents and caregivers. To be eligible, employees must have worked for the same employer for a minimum of 26 weeks.

Country	Businesses with flexible working policies	Employees who consider flexible work the new norm
Germany	80%	68%
The Netherlands	75%	73%
Australia	71%	74%
USA	69%	74%
Canada	68%	77%
UK	68%	73%
Brazil	67%	72%
South Africa	62%	79%
Spain	61%	74%
France	60%	68%

Some countries have remote work regulations in place 

When the world shifted to remote work abruptly, the logistical and legal challenges of such work came into focus. This made some countries update their existing labor laws or introduce new ones to regulate remote work in some way. 

Some countries already had teleworking or remote work legislation as part of their labor laws yet some of those regulations have never been put into practice. 

Some changes that remote work legislation introduced include: 

• Remote work has to be established in a written agreement. 
• Employers are required to provide remote employees with necessary work tools/equipment and bear their installation, repairs, and maintenance costs.
• Employers are required to pay for any appropriate telework-related costs, including electricity and internet. 
• Employers aren’t allowed to discriminate against remote employees on the grounds of age, gender, disability, seniority, or professional groups.

Today, more countries have remote work regulations in place, including Angola, Luxembourg, Taiwan, Spain, and others. 

Countries that have remote work regulations in place
Chile
Belgium
Spain
Russia
Mexico
Ukraine
Luxembourg
Slovakia
Turkey
Argentina
Taiwan
Angola
Brazil
Portugal
Greece
Colombia
Norway
Serbia
The Netherlands

France and Japan remain the top countries to resist remote work 

While some countries are introducing or changing existing laws to regulate remote work and provide better working conditions to those who work outside the office, others keep resisting remote work. 

This is the case with France and Japan. 

One Ifop study for the French think tank Fondation Jean-Jaurès found that only 29% of French workers wished to work remotely at least once a week. Moreover, only 14% of French employees would like to work remotely 4 days a week, and only 11% would work remotely five days per week.

According to Sonia Levillain, a professor at the IÉSEG School of Management in Lille, and author of the Little Toolbox of Remote Management, this is mostly because the French people are reluctant to change, most of the time. 

This resistance to remote work is further deepened by their need for social interaction and traditional workplace arrangements. 

Based on the data from a recent survey done by Tokyo Shōkō Research, remote work is on the decline in Japan. 

Despite the majority of Japanese employees wanting to continue working remotely, only about 29% of companies offer this option — a decrease from 37% in October 2021.

Overall, about 71% of Japanese companies don’t offer work from home.

US and UK companies are more likely to allow employees to work completely remotely 

Unlike France and Japan, where most companies don’t support remote work, there are countries that are more likely than others to allow their employees to work from home. 

For example, GitLab’s Remote Work Report 2021 gathered information from 3,900 respondents based in:

• The US, 
• The UK, 
• Canada, 
• Australia, 
• South Africa, 
• Brazil, and 
• South Korea. 

According to this data, businesses in the US and UK are much more inclined to allow their employees to work 100% remotely and in their own time than those in Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and South Korea. 

Monaco is the country with the fastest broadband internet speed

High-speed internet is one of the prerequisites for modern digital work, especially for the global remote workforce. 

Luckily for remote employees, the internet has never been faster. According to the World Population Review’s data for 2021, Monaco is the country with the fastest internet in the world — its internet speed has been estimated at 261.82 Mbps. 

Singapore holds the honorable second place with 255.83 Mbps — and Hong Kong is third, with 254.70 Mbps. 

Top 10 countries with the fastest broadband internet speeds	Speed (Mbps)
Monaco	261.82
Singapore	255.83
Hong Kong (China)	254.70
Romania	232.17
Switzerland	229.96
Denmark	227.91
Thailand	225.17
Chile	217.60
France	214.04
South Korea	212.57

The United Arab Emirates have the fastest mobile internet speed

For some remote workers, using their mobile devices to do business is the norm. That’s why having fast mobile internet is also key to doing remote work without major disruptions. 

The World Population Review data for 2021 revealed that the United Arab Emirates has the fastest mobile internet speed — 238.06 Mbps. South Korea follows suit with 202.61 Mbps and Norway comes in third with 177.72 Mbps. 

Top 10 countries with the fastest mobile internet speeds	Speed (Mbps)
The United Arab Emirates	238.06
South Korea	202.61
Norway	177.72
Qatar	172.18
China	165.38
Kuwait	157.18
Saudi Arabia	155.97
Cyprus	144.64
Bulgaria	142.27
Switzerland	135.70

Statistics showing the most common remote work structure

Remote work isn’t the same experience for everyone. 

Some work remotely 5 days a week and meet their teammates only on special occasions — like team building activities or other corporate events. 

Others work mostly from the office, with occasional work-from-home days. 

Based on the time employees spend working remotely, we can make a distinction between the following work structures: 

• Fully remote, 
• Remote-first, 
• Hybrid and flexible hybrid,
• Office occasional,
• Office first, remote allowed, and
• Fully on-site. 

With so many diverse choices available, what have companies implemented so far? What are their plans for the future? 

What work model are employees currently working under?

Let’s dive into the data. 

The majority of employees work remotely in some way 

In its State of Remote Work 2022, Buffer has found that about 72% of respondents currently work under some type of remote work structure — either fully remote (49%) or in a remote-first company (23%). 

Only 11% work on-site with the possibility to work remotely. 

The most common remote work structure	Percentage
Fully remote	49%
Remote-first	23%
Office occasional	16%
Office first, remote allowed	11%

According to Microsoft’s annual report and based on LinkedIn’s data, the number of remote work jobs offered is also on the rise. 

• In March of 2020, 1 in 67 US jobs offered a remote work option. 
• In March 2022, about 1 in 7 US jobs offered a remote work option. 

Moreover, remote jobs on LinkedIn attract 2.6 times more views and almost 3 times more applicants than on-site roles. 

More than half of companies operate in a fully remote setting

Based on the data from the Global Virtual Teams Survey Report 2022 conducted by the CultureWizard, about 89% of companies function as fully remote, remote-first, or remote-friendly companies. 

Out of those, 61% are fully remote — and the rest 11% are fully on-site. 

Type of work model	Percentage
Fully remote	61%
75% remote	13%
50% remote	8%
25% remote	7%
Fully on-site	11%

The majority of employers implement the hybrid model 

In addition to being fully remote, companies also mostly work under the hybrid model. 

In an Achievers Workforce Institute survey of 952 HR leaders and more than 2,000 employees, data showed that in 2021 most employers operated under the hybrid work model — 60%. 

About 27% were fully remote while only 13% were fully in-office. 

According to GitLab’s 2021 Remote Work Report, 42% of companies are hybrid. 

What’s more, 32% of companies are fully remote — yet each employee works in their own native time zone. 

Another 12% are fully remote — but every worker has to sync to the company’s time zone.

About 14% of companies allow or tolerate remote work — but it’s not considered the default or norm.

The hybrid work trend continues in 2022, with 59% of employers operating in a hybrid work setting. About 24% are working from the office and about 18% are completely remote. 

Type of work model	2021	2022
Fully remote	27%	18%
Hybrid model (partly remote, partly in-office/on-site)	60%	59%
Fully in-office/on-site	13%	24%

Statistics showing the most preferred remote work structure 

As stated in Buffer’s State of Remote Work Report 2022, about 86% of remote employees would like to keep working in a remote setting — be it fully remote (56%) or remote-first (30%). 

As few as 3% would like to go back to the office. 

The most preferred remote work structure among employees	Percentage
Fully remote	56%
Remote-first	30%
Office occasional	11%
Office first, remote allowed	3%

How do companies feel about remote work models? What do they prefer?

On the other hand, what do the employees want? Where do they prefer to work from? 

Let’s see. 

Employers and employees aren’t completely on the same page about remote work

As shown by the State of Remote Work 2021 Report by Owl Labs, the majority of remote workers would like to keep working from home.

On the other hand, that’s not what their employers are planning on doing. 

About 34% of employees would prefer to be completely remote, but only 26% of employers would allow that in the future. 

Also, 29% would prefer to go back to the office full-time, and 39% of employers would require this in the future. 

Type of work arrangement	Preferred work arrangement	Employer requirement
In the office full-time	29%	39%
In the office 1-4 days a week	27%	20%
Work remotely full-time	34%	26%
Work remotely occasionally	4%	5%

Employees generally prefer working from home 

Back in 2019, 84% of people chose to work from home, Buffer found in its State of Remote Work Report 2019. 

This year’s report by Buffer revealed that 59% would opt for working from home if the pandemic ended now.

2019 State of Remote Work Report	2022 State of Remote Work Report
84% of people chose to work from home	59% of people say they want to primarily work from home (if the pandemic ended now)
16% chose to work from coworking spaces, coffee shops, libraries, or other locations	41% said they want to work primarily from other locations (if the pandemic ended now)

People are willing to move to be able to work remotely. 

About 38% in 2022 would consider moving because they can’t work remotely at their current job, Microsoft’s report revealed. The number was 46% in 2021.

30% of people are likely to consider a move in the upcoming year even if it requires finding a new job that lets them work remotely. 

Employers mostly lean toward hybrid work models 

2022 Return to Work Trends Survey by the Achievers Workforce Institute shows that about 61% of employers would like to continue operating completely or partly remotely. 

Moreover, 90% of senior executives expect to work from home in the future. 

Around 24% don’t allow for remote work, and about 15% would like to go back to the office. 

Type of work model employers want in the future	Percentage
Completely remote	26%
Partly remote (hybrid)	35%
Fully in office	15%
My job doesn’t allow for remote work	24%

Some employees also prefer hybrid work

For some employees, hybrid and remote work are the new “normal” even if the pandemic stopped being an issue. 

In its Future of Work Survey, PwC found that more than half of employees would prefer a remote or hybrid work arrangement. 

Only 21% said that the nature of their work doesn’t allow for remote work. 

Employees who prefer hybrid work	Percentage
All remote	19%
Almost entirely remote (4 days remote)	8%
Mostly remote (3 days remote)	17%
Mostly in office (2 days remote)	12%
Almost entirely in the office (1 day or less remote)	22%
N/A – The nature of my work doesn’t allow me to work remotely	21%

No matter what work model they opt for, companies should provide proper support to their employees to help them adapt more quickly. 

What are companies doing to support remote work? 

What changes have they introduced to ensure remote work is a great experience for their employees? 

We’ll find out in the next section of this guide.

Statistics showing how companies support remote work 

When working remotely, a lot is at stake. Back when the pandemic started, for many managers and leaders, handling a remote team was a novelty, so they had to learn on the go. 

To support remote work arrangements and protect their employees’ mental health, about 45% of companies implemented flexible scheduling and remote work options, Kazoo’s 2022 Workplace trends report revealed. 

All this with the aim of nurturing employee and manager well-being and preventing burnout.

Buffer’s latest report also recorded a few ways in which companies are facilitating remote work.

About 51% of remote workers said their companies help them connect with colleagues for work.

Moreover, a whopping 93% of employees said their organization trusts them to work remotely.

And, trust in remote teams is essential. 

According to GitLab, about 82% of workers praised their leadership for understanding how to operate a team remotely in 2021. And 80% of workers said their leadership team provides them with agency and autonomy while working remotely. 

Let’s see what else companies offer to support remote work.

Some companies offer flexible working hours

For some companies, introducing flexible working hours is one way to support their remote workers. 

Buffer’s 2022 report revealed that 63% of employees said their companies do offer flexible work.

About 30% said their companies don’t do this — but the employees wished they would. 

Here’s a list of 5 companies that are offering flexible working hours. 

Companies offering flexible working hours policy

According to one US Chamber article, many companies have decided to experiment with flexible working schedules. 

So, here is the list of 5 famous companies that have already implemented a flexible working policy: 

• American Express offers flexible working hours, and much more. They provide its employees with a contract, part-time, full-time, and remote work opportunities, too. Moreover, many positions include the ability to work from home if you’re a parent, you live far away from the office, or in case of unexpected events. 
• Automattic, the WordPress parent company, offers its employees a great flexible working schedule, among other benefits. Its remote work policies proved so successful that the company closed its 15,000-square-foot office in San Francisco after people stopped using it.
• Dell is one of the pioneers in flexible work scheduling. Since introducing a flexible working policy in 2009, Dell has built up its Connected Workplace program that allows employees to work remotely some or all of the time. The program encourages the employees to get the work done in whatever way suits them.  
• InVision operates under a fully distributed work model and has employees in over 20 countries — but no central hub worldwide. Some of the benefits their employees enjoy include a fully remote work environment, a pleasant company culture, and good pay.
• Upwork has two offices (Chicago and San Francisco) but has been fully committed to a remote-work philosophy for more than 20 years. In addition to allowing its employees to do their work from anywhere, Upwork also provides benefits such as family medical insurance, unlimited PTO policy, and 12-week fully paid parental leave with additional support.

A small portion of companies have a no-meeting days policy 

According to the most recent meeting statistics, people are spending more time than ever in meetings. 

So, to make things a bit easier for their remote workers, about 37% of companies have implemented a no-meeting days policy in place, Buffer reported. 

What’s more, about 42% of employees said their companies don’t do this but they wished the companies would.

Companies offering no-meeting days policy 

Here’s a list of 5 companies that offer a no-meeting days policy: 

• The Soul Publishing is a remote company with employees scattered across 70 countries. Although collaborating across many time zones is standard for the company, they have a strict “no-meeting” policy that helps boost productivity and allows employees to have more control over their time. 
• Allianz Technology was trialing so-called ‘Silent Friday Mornings’ where no meetings are scheduled between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. To further support mental health, the company allows their employees to have dedicated focus times without meetings and a break between meetings, too.
• At the end of April 2021, the France-based ESI Group realized that meetings were bringing stress and disrupting workflows for their employees. To put a stop to this and enhance their work-life balance and well-being, the company implemented a “No Meeting Wednesday”, allowing employees more flexibility in the organization of their work. 
• Back in June 2020, Accenture acknowledged that its employees were overworked and wanted to ensure a stress-free work environment. Over the summer of 2020, Accenture’s US employees were encouraged to restrict the number of meetings on Fridays and finish conference calls at 5:30 p.m. every day.
• In late March 2021, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser decided to implement a Zoom-free Fridays policy to tackle the employees’ Zoom fatigue. Citigroup’s employees are now encouraged to take a step back from Zoom and other video conferencing tools for just one day a week, to help them set healthy work boundaries. The company also designated May 28 as a companywide holiday to have a day off and “reset.”

Some companies have adopted a four-day workweek 

In an attempt to reduce the stress caused by the pandemic and reduce the effects of burnout, some companies introduced a four-day workweek (4DWW) policy. 

In Buffer’s latest report on remote work, only 17% of respondents said they enjoy a four-day workweek. Another 69% said they would like their company to work under this policy. 

And, based on the data from the latest edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence survey, which included the answers from 19,010 employees, 54% said they would like to work four days a week. 

Below, take a look at the remote companies offering a four-day workweek.. 

Companies offering a four-day workweek policy

For some companies, a four-day workweek is already a reality: 

• Buffer has been operating on a 4DWW since May 2020. After a successful six-month trial period, the company realized that the 4DWW policy has significantly improved the employees’ productivity levels and given them a better sense of work-life balance. Moreover, 91% of Buffer’s team are happier and more productive working four days a week.
• Bolt has made a four-day workweek a permanent policy for its employees. After a three-month trial period, about 94% said they would love to keep working under this policy and 86% said they were more efficient with their time. Bolt officially formalized the four-day week starting January 1, 2022.
• Since June 2020, Uncharted has moved to the 4DWW policy — the employees would get 100% compensation for 80% hours. The company experienced a decrease in workplace stress and an improvement in mental health without dropping the ball on productivity.
• Wonderlic, another remote company, introduced a 4DWW in the fall of 2021. According to CEO Becca Callahan, there’s been an increase in productivity and employee engagement. In addition to a 32-hour workweek, Wonderlic offers premium healthcare plans and a competitive salary. 
• Nectafy started offering the 4DWW in January 2020. Although headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Nectafy operates as a 100% remote company. For the employees, this translates to about 8 hours of work from Monday to Thursday and every Friday off. For the company, it included setting a permanent 4DWW policy and cutting meetings in half. 

Statistics showing the changes coming with remote work 

With a sudden shift to remote work, employers and employees had to find new ways to keep operations running. 

Although Buffer’s 2022 report showed that the majority of people (62%) are more excited about work since they started working remotely due to the pandemic, they had to go through some changes, too.

Let’s take a look at what people say has changed since the global spread of remote work. 

Overall work conditions changed with remote work

The majority of changes occurred within the workplace itself. Here’s what changes respondents in Buffer’s report listed: 

• For 56%, the way they communicate and collaborate has changed since they started working remotely. 
• About 51% said they now engage in more video meetings.
• For 53% of respondents, work hours have changed.
• About 45% said the way they worked has changed. 
• Only 8% said that nothing has changed since they started working remotely. 

People tend to work more when working remotely 

According to the Owl Labs State of Remote Work Report 2021, 55% say they work more hours working remotely than at the physical office. 

Only 12% say they work less now, and 33% say they put in the same number of hours. 

How much are remote employees working?	Percentage of employees
Work fewer hours	12%
The same number of hours	33%
0–5 hours more	18%
6–10 hours more	12%
10–20 hours more	10%
20 hours more	16%

Buffer’s 2022 report uncovered similar data: 

• 40% of respondents who shifted to remote work due to COVID-19 said they are working more since going remote. 
• The same percentage said they are working the same as before.
• About 20% said they are working less. 

In its latest report, Microsoft disclosed a 28% increase in after-hours work since March 2020.

However, there is a 14% increase in weekend work since March 2020. 

Most remote workers now prioritize mental health 

Considering that some remote employees have been putting in more hours and weekend work, they started taking more care about their mental health, too. 

As Microsoft reports, about 53% of those surveyed — particularly parents (55%) and women (56%) — are more likely to prioritize their health and wellbeing now.

Another 47% are more likely to give priority to family and personal life over work now. 

Connecting in remote workplaces has become essential

Data from Kazoo’s 2022 Workplace trends report shows that 90% of workers find connecting in the workplace important. 

Besides, connection in the workplace contributes significantly to:

• An employee’s overall sense of happiness, 
• Their desire to be productive, and 
• A high level of engagement in their work.

On the other hand, Buffer’s 2022 report disclosed that 52% of people who started working remotely due to COVID-19 felt less connected to their teammates. 

About 30% felt that going remote had no impact on this while 18% said they felt more connected.

38% of those who participated in GitLab’s remote work report in 2021 said that more visibility into the organization improved their sense of connection. 

Another 34% noted that transparency from leadership leads to connectedness at work, too. 

Executives and employees agree that there is trust between them 

Where there is a connection between people working together, there has to be trust, too. 

According to the Future of Work Survey done by PwC, almost the same number of executives (77%) and employees (72%) agree that there is a high level of trust between leaders and employees. 

Opinion	Executives	Employees
Agree	77%	72%
Strongly agree	34%	35%

Strong workplace relationships are important in a remote setting 

When people trust each other, they are more likely to establish stronger and thriving relationships, Microsoft’s report stated. 

Half of the remote employees say they have a thriving relationship with their direct team, while 42% say they have a thriving relationship with people outside their closest team.

Microsoft also examined the impact of strong workplace relationships on those with thriving relationships and those with struggling relationships outside and inside of their team. 

Here’s what they found. 

The impact of strong workplace relationships for those with thriving relationships

When employees who generally have thriving workplace relationships establish strong relationships with their closest teammates, they: 

• Report greater overall well-being (76%).
• Are more productive at work than the year before (50%).
• Are more likely to stay with their current employer longer than a year (61%). 

When employees who generally enjoy thriving workplace relationships establish strong relationships with people outside of their immediate team, they: 

• Feel the same or more fulfilled by work (79%). 
• Are very satisfied with their employer (79%). 
• Believe in the improvement of work-related stress (40%). 
• Are more likely to stay with their current employer longer than a year (59%).

The impact of strong workplace relationships for those with struggling relationships

When employees who generally have struggling relationships within the company establish strong relationships with people inside their immediate team, they:

• Report greater overall well-being (57%).
• Are more productive at work than the year before (36%). 
• Are more likely to stay with their current employer longer than a year (39%). 

When employees who generally have struggling relationships in the workplace establish strong relationships with people inside their immediate team, they:

• Feel the same or are more fulfilled by work (59%). 
• Are very satisfied with their employer (57%). 
• Believe in the improvement of work-related stress (30%). 
• Are more likely to stay with their current employer longer than a year (46%).

Pay hasn’t been affected by remote work

Regardless of how pay is calculated, 73% of respondents in Buffer’s 2022 report say their pay hasn’t been impacted by switching to remote work. 

Yet, 40% say their pay is connected to a specific location and 38% say it isn’t. About 22% are unsure about this. 

When it comes to pay being tied to geographical location, opinions are divided among remote workers: 

• More than half believe that pay shouldn’t be tied to their location — 54%. 
• The rest (46%) say that it should. 

Some remote employees feel unsure about returning to the office

According to the Pew Research study, employees who are currently working from home all or most of the time have mixed feelings about returning to the office in the near future. 

In January 2022, about 49% felt comfortable returning to the office if it reopened next month. This is an increase from 35% in October 2020. 

Additionally, 64% felt uncomfortable returning to the office in the upcoming month, data from October 2020 showed. In January 2022, 51% felt that way. 

How do people feel about returning to the office if it reopened next month?	October 2020	January 2022
Very comfortable	13%	20%
Somewhat comfortable	22%	29%
Somewhat uncomfortable	33%	26%
Very uncomfortable	31%	25%

— 

Remote work brought about many changes for employees across the globe. 

And while, for the most part, these were changes for the better, remote work still comes with a unique set of challenges and benefits. 

Let’s explore these two a bit further. 

Statistics on the challenges of remote work

Working remotely brings certain challenges for both employers and employees, too. 

Here’s the latest data on the challenges of remote work. 

Challenge #1: Proper workplace communication 

Maintaining proper workplace communication still troubles the remote workforce. 

According to Hubstaff’s 2021 Remote Project Management Report, almost 46% of respondents cited lack of communication as the biggest challenge in managing remote work.

The Culture WIzards report also found that 17% still report difficulties with collaboration and communication. 

Challenge #2: Staying focused and motivated 

For 21% of those surveyed by Buffer in 2022, difficulty focusing was a big problem, too. The same percentage said they also struggle with staying motivated when working from home.

For 41% of those surveyed by Hubstaff, staying motivated without teammate interaction is a problem, too. 

Challenge #3: Working across time zones 

In line with establishing effective communication in remote teams, Buffer also found that 21% of respondents cited working across zones as a remote work challenge, too. 

The previously mentioned remote work report conducted by Hubstaff revealed that about 27% of respondents find working across different time zones problematic, too. 

Challenge #4: Stress and burnout

As stated in the 2021 Global Burnout Study conducted by Infinite Potential, burnout has been on the rise in the previous two years. 

In Kazoo’s workplace trends report, preventing burnout before it even starts is one of the main focus points for companies in 2022. 

In addition to that, data from Quantum Workplace’s State of Remote Work 2021 report showed that remote and hybrid employees are more likely to work more than 50 hours a week compared to their on-site teammates. 

Culture Wizard also reported that tackling Zoom fatigue is challenging for 61% of respondents. 

Stress is a major issue for 46% of Gen Z and 38% of Millenials. According to Deloitte’s 2022 study, these two generations report being stressed all or most of the time. 

Even though employees are working more when working from home, only 11% of managers are concerned about burnout, data from Owl Labs 2021 report showed. 

Challenge #5: Relationship-building is harder

Remote work makes it harder to establish meaningful relationships at work, too. 

About 43% of leaders agree that relationship-building is the greatest challenge in remote and hybrid work, Microsoft stated in its latest report. 

This is confirmed by data from Culture Wizard’s survey — 71% of surveyed agree that building and maintaining relationships is a great challenge for virtual teams. 

When people have a hard time establishing strong relationships at work, they also struggle with managing conflicts and disagreements (54%) and find it harder to be spontaneous with colleagues (68%).

Challenge #6: Disconnecting after work 

In Buffer’s 2022 report, 25% cited difficulty disconnecting after work as the biggest challenge. 

One Simply Hired survey of more than 1,000 participants revealed that Millennials are the most likely to have difficulty disconnecting after work. 

They also find it extremely difficult to stop thinking about work, the same survey found. 

Challenge #7: Loneliness and isolation 

According to Microsoft’s report, 50% of remote employees feel lonelier at work than before going hybrid or remote.

In Buffer’s remote work statistics for 2022, 24% of remote employees cited loneliness as another big challenge of remote work. 

Culture Wizard’s report on virtual teams found that for 53% of employees, feelings of isolation are another challenging aspect of remote work. 

Challenge #8: Career advancement and growth 

Working remotely shouldn’t be an obstacle to developing one’s career and growing professionally. 

Buffer’s 2022 report dived deep into how remote work affected the employees’ opportunities for career advancement. 

Unfortunately, 44% of employees said that their company doesn’t provide career growth opportunities — but employees say they wish this were the case.

For 41% of remote workers, the switch to a remote work arrangement didn’t affect their career development. 

Only 14% said that remote work facilitated their career growth. 

Statistics on the benefits of remote work 

Where there are challenges, there have to be benefits also. 

Read on to learn more about what benefits remote workers have been enjoying since they started working from home. 

Benefit #1: Better work-life balance 

In essence, work-life balance is defined as the division of a person’s time and focus between working and family or leisure activities.

Overall, a greater work-life balance is what the majority of workers enjoy when they work from home. Moreover, remote work makes them happy. 

According to Zapier’s report, a whopping 96% of respondents associate work-life balance with their happiness at work. 

The Owl Labs data from their 2021 report showed that remote work supports employees’ work-life balance in more than one way: 

• 86% said they can better support their family and be present. 
• 84% said that working from home would make them happier.
• 83% said they are better at managing work-life conflicts. 
• 82% said that working from home after the pandemic is better for their mental health.

Benefit #2: More flexibility 

For remote employees, flexibility is another great advantage of remote working.

For 91% of those examined by Zapier, flexible hours are the second-highest perk of remote work.

Overall flexibility in work is what the respondents in Buffer’s 2022 report on remote work cite as the biggest remote work benefit: 

• 67% say they have more flexibility in how they spend their time.
• 62% say they have more flexibility to choose where to work from. 
• 55% say they have more flexibility to choose where to live. 
• 29% say they have more flexibility in their career options. 

Thanks to flexible working, employees can devote more time to family life. 

Benefit #3: Extra free time 

In London, people spent about 149 hours stuck in traffic in 2019. 

According to Census Bureau Estimates data, the average one-way commute in the US in 2019 was 27.6 minutes — an all-time high. 

Nowadays, thanks to remote work, people have been commuting less and using their time more efficiently. 

About 59% of work-from-home employees say that they enjoy more free time because they don’t commute to work. 

Additionally, car traffic is on the decrease and people are walking more than ever as compared to the pre-pandemic times — all thanks to their ability to work from home.  

The Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions did a study, Less is more: Changing travel in a post-pandemic society. According to their findings, weekday car traffic in England was about 10% lower throughout the summer and autumn of 2021 than before the pandemic. 

Benefit #4: Money-saving 

Another often cited benefit of remote work is money-saving. 

What do employers and employees save money on thanks to remote working?

Money-saving benefits for employees  

People working from their homes usually save from $2,000 to $5,000 per year on commuting expenses. 

Moreover, they also save about $2,700 on lunches per year. About 48% of those surveyed by Buffer in 2022 say remote work is financially better for them. 

Zapier also found that for 61% of their respondents, remote work has improved their savings.

Money-saving benefits for employers

Companies can save money on remote work, too. 

According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical company can save about $11,000 per year for every employee who works from home at least two or three days a week.  

The commute isn’t the only thing employers can save money on.

For example, FlexJobs managed to save over $5 million thanks to remote work on things such as:

• Real estate expenses
• Overhead
• Transportation costs
• Continuity of operations

Good news for employers is that remote employees are also less likely to use sick time, findings from Global Workplace Analytics demonstrated. 

On average, employers lose $1,800 per employee per year on unscheduled absences. 

Benefit #5: Diverse options for those who can’t work in the office 

Remote work is a good choice for people who find it difficult or simply can’t work from the office, Buffer’s report from 2022 revealed. These are:

• People with disabilities, 
• Parents and caregivers, and 
• Pet owners. 

How remote work benefits people with disabilities 

People with a disability or chronic illnesses prefer remote work because it gives them more flexibility — 44% of Buffer’s respondents who identified as having a chronic disability or illness agree. 

How remote work benefits parents and caregivers

About 76% of respondents who are parents or caregivers said that they opt for remote work because it gives them the flexibility they need, Buffer also reported. 

Owl Labs 2021 report revealed that 63% of those who worked from home during the pandemic had to take care of children or a dependent. Here are the details:

• 21% cared for children under 5.
• 38% had to take care of children ages 5–11. 
• 35% had to look after children ages 11–18. 

How remote work benefits pet owners 

Remote work is a great solution for pet owners as well because it provides them with the flexibility to care for their pets. 

In Owl Labs’ 2021 report, 51% of remote employees said they adopted a pet during the pandemic:

• 42% adopted a dog.
• 28% adopted a cat.
• 11% had a pet certified as an emotional support animal.

Benefit #6: Increased employee engagement and morale 

Remote work supports better employee engagement. 

Quantum Workplace found that hybrid and remote employees have reported higher engagement levels than their on-site co-workers: 

• Remote employees — 78%.
• Hybrid employees — 81%. 
• On-site employees — 72%. 

Remote work positively affects remote employees’ morale, too. 

According to The future of work report done by Zapier, 62% of surveyed reported increased employee morale when working remotely. 

According to remote workers, remote-work benefits to employers also include:

• Increased productivity (42%), 
• Increased efficiency (38%), and 
• Increased morale (31%). 

Statistics on remote work and productivity 

Ever since remote work has become the predominant work model, productivity has preoccupied both employers and employees. Opinions are divided on the impact of remote work on productivity.

Some researchers believe it has made employees less productive while others think it has truly boosted productivity in the workplace. 

According to The future of work after COVID‐19 report by the McKinsey Global Institute, companies with computer-based office work could spend 70% of their time working remotely without productivity being affected. 

In other industries, only about 5 to 10% of work could be done remotely.

Here’s the latest data on productivity and remote work. 

Most employees claim they are more productive when working from home 

Most research shows that employees are more productive when they work remotely. 

Based on the data from a two-year study by Great Place to Work that examined the responses from over 800,000 employees at Fortune 500 companies, most people experienced stable or  increased productivity levels after shifting to work from home. 

In 2021, Owl Labs reported that 90% of employees said they were as productive or more productive working remotely when compared to in-office work. 

GitLab’s remote work report also revealed that 81% of people are satisfied with their productivity levels. 

80% of those surveyed by Microsoft in 2022 said they are just as or more productive since going remote or hybrid.

About 75% of respondents in Kazoo’s report on workplace trends claim they were equally or more productive when working from home during the pandemic. 

64% of Zapier survey respondents agree that remote work has made them more productive. 

More than half of people say they feel more productive working in the office

According to the Pew Research study, some employees are more productive when working on-site. 

61% of employed adults who are allowed to work from home at least some of the time say they choose not to do so due to decreased productivity.  

Reasons why people choose not to work from home even if they can	Cited as a major reason	Cited as a minor reason
Feeling more productive working in the office	61%	16%
Prefer working in the office	60%	19%
Don’t have the space/resources to work effectively from home	21%	23%
More opportunities for career advancement if they worked from the office	14%	10%
Feel pressured to work from the office (by their managers or teammates)	9%	17%

Most leaders are still concerned about employee productivity 

Although studies and research shows that employers, too, enjoy many benefits of remote work, 54% of leaders fear productivity has been negatively impacted since shifting to remote work, Microsoft reported.

Of those that manage remote workers and teams, 36% are concerned about employee productivity and 36% are worried about reduced focus, Owl Labs 2021 report found.  

According to the findings by Achievers Workforce Institute, employers have diverse opinions about the impact of remote work on the productivity of their employees who operated remotely during 2021. Here’s how employers describe employee productivity:

• 56% say productivity levels were the same.
• 31% say employees were more productive.
• 13% say workers were less productive.  

Productivity can depend on the type of work model 

Not all work models have the same impact on employee productivity, Culture Wizard revealed in its Virtual Teams report. 

Key takeaway — companies that have implemented any of the remote work model types (e.g. fully remote, remote-first, or hybrid) enjoy higher productivity. 

Types of work models	Productivity percentage
Fully remote	34%
75% remote	28%
50% remote	20%
Fully on-site	9%

Statistics showing the role of online collaboration tools in remote work 

Staying connected during the pandemic when the majority of businesses had to work remotely was essential. 

This brought on a sudden increase in the use of online collaboration technologies — making it easier for companies to communicate and collaborate with their employees even from afar. 

How much do remote workers rely on collaboration tools for communication? 

What have companies done to facilitate communication and collaboration for its remote workforce? 

Are both employees and employers satisfied with tools and processes that facilitate remote communication? 

Let’s see what statistics say.

The majority of employees used collaboration tools for work in 2021 

According to Gartner’s Digital Worker Experience Survey, almost 80% of workers were using collaboration tools for work in 2021. 

This represents an increase from 55% in 2019 and a 44% increase since the pandemic began. 

Another group of tools that saw a significant increase in use were storage and document sharing tools — about 10%. 

Moreover, 80% of remote workers were using instant messaging apps in 2021 — an increase from 75% in 2019.

Type of collaboration tools people used	2019	2021
Collaboration tools	55%	79%
Storage and document sharing tools	64%	74%
Training and personal development tools	47%	47%
Instant messaging tool	75%	80%

Most companies introduced a proper system for remote communication and collaboration 

In Buffer’s remote work report for 2022, 77% of respondents said their companies have proper systems for remote communication and collaboration in place.

Another 75% said their companies organize regular 1:1 meetings.

Overall satisfaction with the collaboration tools and processes that support remote communication is very high — 82% of respondents in GItLab’s 2021 report agree. 

Among those surveyed by Wrike for their study on remote work and security during COVID-19, almost half said that their team has adopted new software for collaborating and communicating in a remote work environment. 

Another 40% say they chose a certain tool due to its security. 

Have teams adopted new software applications for collaboration or communication?	Percentage
Yes	46.6%
No	40.5%
Not sure	12.9%

Based on the information from the Owl Labs 2021 report, 38% of employees said that their employer has updated their video technology to allow for more hybrid communication and collaboration.

Younger generations are more likely to use collaboration tools 

Collaboration tools are a major part of remote work — in most cases, remote workers are expected to use them daily for staying in touch with their team and doing their jobs. 

However, research shows that younger people are more likely to rely on collaboration tools — especially when it comes to videoconferencing tools and workplace chat apps.  

Moreover, 60% of people aged 18–44 have to use three or more tools per day just to collaborate with their teammates. 

Age group	Uses video conferencing tool	Uses workplace chat app
Ages 25–34	86%	92%
Ages 55+	46%	51%

All generations feel overwhelmed by the multitude of apps 

While collaboration tools truly facilitate communication and collaboration, all generations feel that having to switch among these collaboration apps often wastes their time. 

About 99% of remote workers use approximately 4.8 different conferencing tools, data from FinancesOnline statistics reveals. 

For example, 60% of employees aged 18–24 and 63% of employees aged 25–34 think they waste time when switching between collaboration tools. 

While employees older than 55 usually use fewer collaboration apps, about 40% of them also think they are wasting time when having to switch between collaboration technologies. 

Statistics showing how secure remote work is

According to Check Point’s 2022 Workforce Security Report, which collected the answers of 1,200 security professionals, 57% of companies say that more than half of their workforce works remotely at least 2 days a week. 

This means that work from home is a trend that will stick. Since remote work isn’t going anywhere, companies have to step up their cybersecurity game. 

• How are companies keeping their remote workforce and sensitive data secure?
• Do companies trust their remote workers?
• How often do companies organize security training and education programs?
• Do they implement and update their cybersecurity strategies regularly?

Here are the statistics on what companies are doing to ensure cybersecurity in a remote work setting. 

More than half of the companies allow remote access to corporate applications from personal devices  

According to CyberTalk’s Remote work security statistics in 2022, 70% of companies say that they allow access to corporate assets from personal laptops and mobile devices. 

Only 17% said they limited remote access to corporate devices. 

Overall, over half of the surveyed companies allow their remote employees to use personal mobile devices and personal laptops for work. 

About 11% of companies haven’t implemented any method to secure remote work access to corporate apps, and 6% don’t allow remote access at all. 

Companies’ policy on using corporate applications remotely	Percentage
Remote access from personal mobile devices allowed	51%
Remote access from personal laptops allowed	52%
Remote access by third parties allowed	32%
Remote access isn’t allowed	6%
No method to secure remote access to corporate applications	11%

Considering the percentage of companies allowing remote employees to use their personal devices for business purposes, it doesn’t surprise that Check Point found that 87% of them have experienced an attempted exploit of an already-known, existing vulnerability. 

For the majority of companies, VPN connections provide secure remote access 

According to CyberTalk’s data, to ensure secure remote access to company apps and tools, companies usually implement the following: 

• 73% rely on VPN connections.
• 46% use multi-factor authentication.
• 18% use Device risk posture check.
• 16% use Zero Trust Network Access. 

However, relying on a few elements here and there to provide secure remote access sometimes isn’t enough. 

This is where remote work security policies come in handy. 

Most companies have a remote work security policy

About 93% of companies have a remote work security policy in place, as a Remote Workforce Cybersecurity Survey done by OpenVPN has found. 

But, what do they include in their remote work security policies? 

OpenVPN’s report revealed that the top three elements most companies include in their remote work security policies are: 

• VPNs — 74%
• Sensitive data encryption — 69%
• Prohibiting the use of personal devices for work-related data — 68%

Other elements include: 

• Security training for employees — 66% 
• Password management — 56%
• BYOD (Bring your own device) not allowed — 38%  

According to Wrike’s report on the future of work security, 74% of employees say that their company has released official security guidelines or training for working securely while remote.

However, about 26% of employees say that they never received any guidelines. 

This means that almost a third of employees who participated in the survey either work for companies that haven’t implemented any remote work security policies or they are simply unaware such policies exist in their companies. 

Companies use diverse methods to ensure secure internet browsing 

According to Check Point Research, only 9% of companies use all the 5 must-have protection steps against internet-based attacks. 

It’s scary to learn that, in 2021, Check Point Research discovered more than 10,000 new malicious files and 100,000 new malicious websites every day.

Unfortunately, 20% of organizations don’t use any methods to protect remote users who are browsing the internet. 

Of the 9% of the companies that do use methods to provide a secure internet browsing experience, 55% use URL filtering, and 49% rely on URL reputation. 

Only 17% use credentials protection to secure their internet experience. 

Top 5 methods companies use to provide secure internet browsing	Percentage
URL filtering	55%
URL reputation	49%
Content disarm and reconstruction (CDR)	41%
Zero phishing	31%
Credentials protection	17%

Company executives think remote work poses a major security risk

According to OpenVPNs Cybersecurity Report, 90% of respondents believe that remote workers aren’t secure. 

Additionally, 73% of VPs and C-suite executives say remote workers pose a greater risk than onsite employees.

About 48% of IT managers and 45% of IT directors feel the same way.

Companies usually organize cybersecurity training twice per year

Providing proper training to their employees is a step forward in creating a reliable and secure work-from-home environment. 

About 90% of companies offer security training for their remote employees, the OpenVPN survey has found. 

However, it has also revealed that only 23% of companies require their workforce to undergo cybersecurity training more than twice per year. 

How often do organizations require remote workers to go through cybersecurity training?	Percentage
More than twice per year	23%
Twice per year	32%
Once per year	25%
Only during employee onboarding	8%
They have an e-learning platform offering courses for employees to take as they wish	11%

More than half of remote employees feel their company has made remote work security a priority since work from home began

A total of 74% of respondents from Wrike’s report believe that “remote work security is a priority for their company”.

In more concrete numbers: 

• 37% strongly agree with the above statement, 
• 37% somewhat agree, 
• 15% somewhat disagree, and
• 11% strongly disagree.

More than half of remote workers say their company has a team or a person that takes care of cybersecurity

Now, even though companies understand the importance of cybersecurity in a remote setting, not all have a designated team to take care of it. 

About 52% of workers say their company has at least one person or an entire team that is in charge of cybersecurity, Wrike has found. 

Another 30% of employees say this is true for their company — while 18% of workers either strongly disagree or somewhat disagree with this statement.

Some remote workers say they understand the importance of cybersecurity practices

As part of their research, Wrike asked the employees if they had a good understanding of common remote access cybersecurity risks and knew the best practices to reduce them. 

The results revealed that only about 38% of employees were confident they did. 

“I have a good understanding of common cybersecurity risks and know the best practices to reduce them.”	Percentage
Strongly agree	37.54%
Somewhat agree	47%
Disagree	10%
Strongly disagree	5.31%

More than half of remote workers still exchange confidential information over personal apps 

Despite being aware of common cybersecurity risks, many remote employees still send confidential information over personal devices. 

Almost 59% of remote employees say they still use personal apps to send and receive confidential files every week, the Wrike report has revealed. 

Exchanging confidential information and company-sensitive data using personal apps varies across generations. 

Gen Zs are the most likely to use personal devices to exchange sensitive information on a daily basis while Baby Boomers are the least likely to do this.

Generation exchanging sensitive information on personal devices	Daily	At least once per week	More than once per week
Baby Boomers	About 15%	About 11%	About 7%
Generation X	About 18%	About 13%	About 7%
Millennials	About 22%	About 15%	About 10%
Gen Z	Almost 25%	About 17%	About 13%

Some remote workers say they use personal apps because their company doesn’t provide proper tools

Overall, the majority of work-from-home employees cite the following reasons for using personal apps over the one their company provides: 

• Their company doesn’t offer apps with similar functionalities (26%).
• Their personal apps are more convenient to use (25%).
• They prefer the user experience of their personal apps (21%).

It’s interesting that 21% also say that no one has told them they shouldn’t use personal apps for business matters. 

Moreover, about 14% believe it’s normal to use personal apps for business purposes in their company. 

More than half of remote workers use a VPN provided by their company

It’s reassuring to learn that 51.3% of remote workers connect to the internet using a VPN provided by their company. 

Still, about 38% don’t do this and about 10% aren’t sure, Wrike reported. 

More than half of remote workers use a WPA/WPA2 network 

When it comes to encrypting their home Wi-Fi network, some remote employees aren’t sure about how it’s done. Wrike has found that: 

• About 57% say they use a WPA/WPA2 network. 
• Almost 31% say they aren’t sure what network encryption they are using.
• 8% use a WEP network. 
• The rest use Open Network, which means they don’t use encryption. 

Statistics showing how employers and employees see the future of remote work

The Great Resignation — also referred to as the Big Quit and the Great Reshuffle — represents an ongoing economic trend across the globe. 

Starting in early 2021, The Great Resignation has had employees voluntarily resign from their jobs en masse — mostly in search of better work conditions. 

Since the global workplace trends are changing, business leaders must look beyond the basics to attract and retain top talent.

The global work from home statistics shows that people lean towards remote work and work-from-home more than in-office work. 

As data from a 2021 McKinsey report of 5,770 employees surveyed disclosed, 40% of respondents who quit their jobs in the last 6 months left without having a new job.

Why are people leaving their jobs? 

What are they willing to do to keep working remotely?

How many employees would leave their current job if there wasn’t a remote work option?

Let’s find out. 

People would like to continue working remotely post-pandemic

Among those who are currently working from home all or most of the time, 78% say they’d like to continue to do so after the pandemic — an increase from 64% in October 2020, Pew Research has found. 

Additionally, 50% of people say they won’t return to jobs that don’t offer some level of remote work, the most recent data from Kazoo Workplace trends report showed. 

According to Owl Labs report, 71% of employees want to work in a hybrid or remote workplace after the pandemic is over.

More than half of all employees want a fully remote job

One FlexJobs survey also found that more than half of employees would like to continue working remotely post-pandemic: 

• 58% say they want a fully remote job.
• 39% prefer a hybrid arrangement. 
• Only 3% want to return to fully in-person work.

The majority of employees want to work from their home or country of residence 

GitLab’s Remote Work Report 2021 findings support this, too. After the pandemic, remote workers plan to do the following:

• 68% plan to continue working from their home or country of residence.
• 16% plan to mostly work from their country of residence and occasionally work from abroad.
• 10% plan to spend half of their time working from their home/country of residence.
• 4% plan to work mostly or entirely from other countries.
• 2% are still undecided. 

Some employees would quit if they couldn’t work remotely anymore 

As reported by the Achievers Workforce Institute, 17% of employees would certainly look for a new job if they couldn’t work remotely anymore. 

Another 22% have said they may look for a new job in case the remote work option isn’t available to them anymore. 

25% have said that, as long as they can work remotely, they are comfortable at their job. 

Only 13% don’t want to work remotely in the future, while 24% are indifferent when it comes to how they work in the future. 

According to Zapier’s findings, 32% of survey respondents have already quit a job because it didn’t offer a remote work option.

Remote employees job-hunt for various reasons 

After going through a pandemic, remote workers have changed their priorities when it comes to their workplace expectations. 

As Microsoft reported, 51% of hybrid employees would consider a switch to remote work, while 57% of remote employees would consider a switch to hybrid work in the year ahead.

Additionally, 61% of respondents would leave their job if they had the option to accept a fully remote opportunity, Zapier noted.

Here is the latest data on why people choose to stay with one employer and how important remote work options are for them. 

Some remote workers job-hunt to find better working conditions 

According to the information retrieved from the Achievers Workforce Institute Infographic, 39% of employees would look for a new job to get better working conditions.

Some remote workers job-hunt to find better mental health support

This year’s Workplace trends report by Kazoo has revealed that 60% of employees will look for a job with better mental health benefits. 

According to Owl Labs, 87% would leave their current employer to reduce their stress.

Employers have already recognized the importance of employee mental health and well-being in the workplace. 

As reported in the Health and Well-being Touchstone survey done by PwC in 2021, 53% of employers added mental health programs to address COVID-19 concerns. 

About 44% of employers added or increased their wellness programs, too. 

Some remote workers job-hunt to find a position where they’ll feel recognized 

Recognition is another major reason for job-hunting among remote workers. 

65% of those surveyed by the Achievers Workforce Institute say that feeling recognized at work would decrease their desire to job-hunt. 

Moreover, 57% say that being recognized at work would make them less likely to take a call from a headhunter. 

Some remote workers job-hunt to find better work-life balance 

According to Achievers Workforce Institute, work-life balance is the second reason why remote employees job-hunt. 

It’s also the main reason why they stay with a certain employer. 

The 2021 State of Remote Work Report by Owl Labs found that 88% of respondents would leave their current employer in search of a better work-life balance, too.  

Some remote workers job-hunt to find better career development options 

In their 2021 State of Remote Work Report, Owl Labs reported that 90% of people would leave their current employer in search of better career opportunities. 

For the respondents in the Achievers Workforce Institute survey, career advancement is the first reason for job-hunting. 

And, if their current employer offers great opportunities for career development, they are more likely to stay with them. 

Some remote workers job-hunt to find better compensation and benefits

The third reason for job-hunting, according to Achievers Workforce Institute Survey, is better compensation and corporate benefits. 

About 88% of respondents in Owl Labs report indicate that they are looking for better compensation in a job. 

Some remote workers job-hunt to find more flexibility 

Remote workers want to remain flexible no matter what. 

Based on the responses of those surveyed by Owl Labs in 2021:

• 84% of employees changed their jobs to get more flexibility in where they worked, and
• 82% changed their jobs looking for more flexibility in when they worked. 

Remote employees are ready to sacrifice a lot to stay remote

The most recent data shows that remote employees are prepared to give up a few benefits just to continue working from home. 

According to a FlexJobs survey, 44% of people know at least one person that has already quit or is planning to quit because they are required to return to the office.

To keep their remote employee status:  

• 29% are currently looking for a new job that allows remote work.
• 24% would take a 10–20% pay cut to work remotely as much as they want.
• 21% would give up some vacation time in order to work remotely. 

Some companies will remain remote permanently 

For some businesses, remote work will continue in the future, too. 

According to the 2022 Kazoo Workplace trends report, 74% of CFOs expect to shift some portion of their workforce to remote work permanently. 

In the same way, in Buffer’s 2022 State of Remote Work Report, 72% of employees said their organization is planning for some form of permanent remote work going forward. 

In their 2021 State of Remote Work Report, 46% of employees said that their companies were planning for some form of permanent remote work.

Other companies are planning to go back to the office

In Microsoft’s 2022 report on hybrid work, 50% of leaders state that their company already requires, or plans to require, full-time in-person work in the upcoming year. 

What’s more, the numbers go up for leaders in the:

• Manufacturing (55%), 
• Retail (54%), and 
• Consumer goods (53%) industries.

For some, the future is still uncertain 

In 2022, 9% of employees said their company isn’t planning on making remote work permanent in the future, reported Buffer. 

This reveals a decrease from 16% in Buffer’s report from the previous year. 

What’s more, 19% of employees said they are unsure about what their company is planning for the future. 

About 38% of employees said that in 2021. 

Statistics showing trends that will shape the future of work 

Although the future can’t truly be predicted, experts across the globe have already anticipated a few trends that will most certainly shape the future way of work. 

At the start of 2021, many expected a return to “normal” — a return to the office.

However, 2021 turned out more unstable than imagined, shaped by a massive war for talent, high inflation levels, and high quit rates. 

Let’s take a closer look at the trends that will shape the future of work. 

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will increase

The first trend that will most definitely shape the way people work in the future is the increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Judging from the data from Tech Jury’s 101 Artificial Intelligence Statistics, 77% of the devices that people use for their daily activities are already offsets of AI-powered technology.

Moreover, in the next ten years, AI is expected to grow 40% higher than in the previous decade. This would assume bots performing both menial and complex tasks.

Back in 2017, Accenture disclosed in its report on the impact of AI, that companies that successfully implement AI practices could increase their profitability by about 38% by 2035. 

On the other hand, all this comes at a certain price. Businesses should weigh the pros and cons of implementing modern AI technologies in the workplace. 

The hiring process won’t depend as much on geography and location 

Although remote work is a long-known work arrangement, people used to believe it was only for those working part-time or that it wasn’t truly an effective way to work. 

Fast forward to the present day — people are working from anywhere in the world full-time, some even on the weekends. 

Since remote work has proven to be such a success, geography and location don’t play such an important role in the hiring process anymore. 

In support of this, 76% of US companies say that hiring is no longer city-dependent. 

Employers aren’t much interested in where people are working from, as long as they are:

• Meeting their deadlines, 
• Attending meetings, and 
• Doing their jobs. 

Companies will be dealing with an all-time-high talent shortage

Talent shortage is another major issue in the business world that needs to be addressed. 

As findings from a ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey show, 3 of every 4 companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty hiring – the highest in the last 16 years. 

The survey also showed that the top 5 in-demand professions globally are: 

• IT and Data
• Sales and Marketing
• Operations and Logistics 
• Manufacturing and Production
• Customer Facing and Front Office 

Reskilling of employees will be a top priority for employers

Upskilling of employees is another top priority for employers — especially with the talent shortage in mind. 

As new technologies emerge, employees need to keep up their game, understand the systems, and be able to do their jobs properly. 

What’s more, the predictions from the World Economic Forum report reveal that about 40% of the global workforce will need reskilling of up to six months by 2024.

According to the HR Predictions for 2022 report by the John Bersin Company, companies will be focused on figuring out the following:

• What skills their employees possess, 
• What skills are needed, and 
• Identifying where the gaps are. 

The Great Resignation will continue

Halfway through 2022 and the Great Resignation Trend is still ongoing. 

According to the data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in May 2022. 

What’s more, the number of job openings in the same month was 11.3 million — a slight drop from a peak of 11.9 million in March. 

As a result, companies, organizations, and teams will have to work harder to retain their best employees and minimize the effects of the Great Resignation trend. 

While there’s no universal formula that can work with every company or team, the general shift from Business-centered leadership to Human-centered leadership might come in handy. 

Managers and team leads might learn to identify the skills, capabilities, and behaviors they need to implement to put people first and ensure business success follows suit. 

The next generation of remote workers will be hybrid or completely remote 

The last but probably not the least trend that will shape the future of work is employees’ desire to keep working remotely. 

According to Zapier’s Future of Work report done in 2022, the next generation of workers will be completely remote. 

A staggering 100% of those aged from 18 to 24 would leave their current job to embrace a fully remote opportunity. 

About 88% of those between the ages of 45 and 54 would do the same. 

Other age groups are of similar opinions — more than half of employees in each age group are ready to quit their current job if they could work entirely remotely. 

Different generations want to work entirely remotely in the future	Percentage
Ages 54+	50%
Ages 45–54	87.5%
Ages 35–44	65%
Ages 25–34	64%
Ages 18–24	100%

Finally, the WFH Research’s latest survey shows that employers are also more open to allowing their employees to work in a fully remote or hybrid environment after the pandemic ends. 

The latest data reveal that employers are planning on allowing their employees to work from home at least 2 or 3 days a week. 

Conclusion: Remote work isn’t going anywhere

Although the shift to fully remote work was unplanned and sudden, global data showed that remote work had a great impact on the world — and that it was a success.

As leaders become more aware of the overall benefits of remote work, they have and will continue to shift their focus to:

• Investing more in training remote workers properly and providing them with the necessary software to do their jobs from anywhere in the world, 
• Ensuring better workplace communication and promoting healthy remote company culture, and 
• Putting forward policies that support those who work from home, protect their mental health, and give them enough flexibility to manage their time. 

On the other hand, remote employees changed and shifted their priorities, too: 

• They choose when and where to work while maintaining high productivity levels and respecting deadlines. 
• They are more focused on balancing their professional and personal lives and prioritizing their mental health. 
• They are spending less money on commuting and food while spending more quality time with family and friends. 
• They know what they want from their employers and aren’t afraid to ask for it. 

Based on the remote work data mentioned above, the overall impression is that remote work and work from home are two trends that will stick in the future — hopefully, to the benefit of both employers and employees. 

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