There is a global age skew towards few older adults working from home or remotely, although this pattern varies by country. In the US and Germany, the distribution is bimodal, with the highest share of not working remotely being among the youngest and oldest workers. For workers in the UK and China, the picture is different, with a stronger skew against older workers working remotely.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online workers who worked from home in the prior 30 days by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0111_ywfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
If most workers get their way, remote work is here to stay
With the onset of the pandemic, substantial numbers of workers began to work remotely from home. Over time, some workers and employers shifted arrangements to result in a wide variety of approaches, with some workers never working from home, a few always doing so, and a large number in some hybrid combinations. Countries such as Japan and China had very different public policies than the approaches taken in the US and the UK. Similarly to many citizens and their governments, workers and employers have not always seen eye-to-eye about the policies around remote work. Workers in most countries surveyed have higher expectations that they will be working remotely in the future. Workers’ expectations have not changed substantially since 2021 except for in Japan, where remote working expectations have fallen.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of workers (full-time, part-time, or self-employed) and their expectation of working remotely in one year, split by country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0110_nwft] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Generation gap in home computer use for work
Following the onset of the pandemic, remote working suddenly became more widespread. Varied levels of remote working continue, although the situation continues to be in flux as employers shift their policies. To continue to be productive, many remote workers pressed their home computers into the service of their employer, regularly using them for work-related activities. Interestingly, in most countries surveyed, a higher share of younger adults use home computers for work than older adults do.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults using a home computer for work-related activities, from videoconferencing to preparing reports or presentations. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0107_yhwk] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households; Activities; Work/Life Balance
Smaller employers rely on workers’ home PCs
During the pandemic, as workers began to work from home, they shifted rapidly to use whatever technology they had. Even after many employees have returned to the workplace, whether on a regular or hybrid basis, the share of workers using a home PC for work continues to outnumber those using an employer-provided PC. The trend in the gap between home and work PCs has narrowed within some sectors, namely in the US and Japan among larger employers, and remains wide among smaller employers around the world.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of workers – full-time, part-time, or self-employed – who use a home PC for work-related activities as compared to those using a work PC for work-related activities, split by the size of the employer. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0103_byot] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Activities; Work/Life Balance
Remote workers continue using devices for the most hours
Workers who work from home even part of the time use connected devices for more hours than those workers who never work remotely. The gap in hours is substantial, nearly 50% higher among American remote workers and even higher among those in Germany, Japan, and the UK.
In addition to direct productivity gains by reducing time for commuting and preparing to be in a workplace, remote workers can also spend more time using devices to do their work and to communicate and collaborate with others. Also, the occupations with higher rates of remote work tend to be information-based. Conversely, those workers who never work remotely often have occupations that require an in-person presence, which may preclude the use of connected devices.
This MetaFAQ reports the average (mean) number of weekly device hours among workers in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China, with devices including work computers, home computers, smartphones, and tablets. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1229_prot] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Remote work arrangement trends in key countries
Nearly as many working adults regularly work remotely as those who never work remotely, at least in the US, Germany, and the UK. In Japan, a declining share works remotely in a hybrid arrangement or never works remotely.
This MetaFAQ reports on the remote work arrangements for working adults in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China, splitting out hybrid arrangements from those workers who never or always work remotely. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1224_amwt] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
More workers use a home computer than a work computer
More workers worldwide use a home computer than a computer provided by their employer. Many factors contribute to this. Only a portion of workers are in occupations that require computer use. Also, the rapid onset of the pandemic forced many workers to work remotely before their employers could respond by supplying an adequate set of technology products. So, many employees put their existing technology to work to get their jobs done remotely. While some employers embraced the practice of BYOD – bring your own device – others chose to supply workers with technology devices that would help support the employer’s confidential corporate information. Decisions about remote work policies and the subsequent provision of in-home technology are still evolving.
This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) number of home computers and work/self-employed computers in active use by workers in five countries: the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1223_hwpc] in TUP Lenses: PCs; Work/Life Balance
Larger employers mean fewer remote workers
Larger employers mean fewer remote workers – Workers working for larger employers have lower chances of working remotely. Conversely, smaller companies are more likely to have employees working remotely at least some of the time. This relationship holds across all of the countries surveyed. One major contributor to this effect is that larger employers have a higher share of industries requiring in-person work, from retail to manufacturing.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of employees who never work from home or remotely, split by country and their employer’s size in number of employees. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1219_nwfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Workers who never work from home have an older skew in only some countries
Remote working is slightly skewed towards workers who are under the age of 40 primarily in the UK, Germany, and China. In the US and Japan, there is less of an age difference. This reflects the digital capabilities of younger adults as well as the labor practices of countries. There is a difference, however, for those who always work remotely, whereas in the US and Germany, there is a stronger skew towards older workers.
This MetaFAQs reports on how often remote workers work remotely by age group and country.
Gen Z’s lead in online teamwork may transform the workplace
Digital collaboration has expanded over a decade, with newer generations adopting online teamwork swiftly. Gen Z, especially in the US and UK, actively collaborates on personal files, more so than for work. Current workplace practices limit their broader collaboration. Yet, they might pave the way for enhanced collaborative tool usage in the future.
This MetaFAQs reports on the use of connected device to collaborate on files, splitting the activity by work-related and personal files, and splitting further into generational age groups and countries. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1209_coll] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Activities; Work/Life Balance