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
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.
More remote than onsite workers in some countries
Remote workers outnumber onsite workers in the US, UK, and among China’s highly-educated elite. Japan favors on-site employees due to its manufacturing focus, labor policies, and traditional work culture. Germany has similar factors to Japan’s, although has a near-equal blend of remote and onsite workers, in part a reflection of the country’s growing openness and eagerness to compete more strongly in the world economy. In the US, aspirations towards being technologically advanced, expense of commercial operations, service-oriented industries, and openness to change have combined such that more Americans work remotely than in person. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1201_remo] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Stronger tech buying plans among remote workers
Stronger tech buying plans among remote workers – Workers working from home have substantially stronger purchase plans than workers who never work from home. To be able to work effectively, they need sufficient technology to enable communication, collaboration, comfort, and computing. Based on their recent survey responses, their technology needs are not fully satisfied.
This MetaFAQs reports on the purchase plans for computers, tablets, printers, consumer electronics, and other technology products, contrasting workers who work from home versus those who do not by country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1129_plan] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; Consumer Electronics; Printers; Work/Life Balance
Most remote workers expect remote work next year
Most remote workers expect remote work next year – In a year, most current remote workers in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan anticipate consistent home-based work. However, fewer elite Chinese workers share this expectation. Very few workers not now working remotely expect to start. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1123_fwfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Home PCs: the unsung heroes of remote work
Home PCs: the unsung heroes of remote work – Getting things done for work from home often demands using a computer. Activities from Webex or Zoom group meetings to creating presentations or reports benefit from using the larger screens of most computers. However, employers have been slow in providing PCs to remote employees. Just as they wavered in their commitment to supporting workers working from home, they’ve vacillated in their policies around providing technology to remote workers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of workers who use a home computer for work-related activities. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1111_hwrk] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Households; Activities; Work/Life Balance