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
US, UK, and China workers eye continued remote work, less so in Japan
US, UK, and China workers eye continued remote work, less so in Japan – Remote work persists, especially if employees are correct. Many employees expect to be working from home in a year at least some of the time. Following the onset of the Covid pandemic, many employees started working from home for the first time.
Among online workers in the US and UK, more than half expect to be working from home occasionally or more often. In Japan, the rate is lower. Among highly educated elite online adults in China, the expectation rate is much higher.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentages of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China who expect to be working from home in one year, and how often they expect to work from home: never, occasionally, once a week, a few times a week, the majority of the time, or always. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1105_nwfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Remote workers use their devices for the most hours
Remote workers use their devices for the most hours – Employees who work remotely tend to spend more time on their devices compared to those exclusively working from office locations. While the time spent on computers, smartphones, or tablets doesn’t directly equate to productivity, it may hint at heightened work activity, especially as remote work often translates to digital meetings. Notably, the difference in device usage hours is most prominent among workers in Japan and Germany. The disparity is most evident when comparing computer usage based on remote work status. This MetaFAQs reports on the mean and median number of hours employees in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China use their connected devices – computers, smartphones, and tablets, as well as with each device type. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1011_prod] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Which Countries Lead in Remote Work Adoption?
The pandemic introduced a major shift in how employees work in addition to where they work. Although the quick response was necessary to maintain public health, some employers have sought to return remote employees to their workplace settings. Other employers have recognized the improved efficiency, productivity, and health of their employees, and have adapted to remote or hybrid work arrangements as part of their ongoing best practices. Many employees have found life-affirming benefits from even occasional remote work which has added to their resistance in returning to previous workplace-oriented practices. They report enjoying many benefits: reduced commuting times and expense, less time on work-appropriate wear, less time in meetings, as well as personal benefits such as managing family care. Also, many remote workers have already set up their remote working environment, many outfitted with computers, webcams, printers, and display monitors. They may be reticent to return to their workplace where employer-provided computers may not be as new as the ones employees are using at home.
This MetaFAQs reports on a vital statistic: the percentage and number of online adults that work remotely by country and also how often they do or do not work remotely. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1005_amwf] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Employers finally updating home technology as employees move on
There’s a discernible trend in American workplaces: while many employees need to rely on personal devices for work, there’s an increasing tilt towards employer-provided technology. From 2021 to 2023, the percentage of employees using their home computer for work declined from 52% to 40%. This shift can foster enhanced protection of digital assets and boost collaboration. Furthermore, when employers provide the tools, it solidifies trust, as employees aren’t shouldering costs that effectively reduce compensation.
By 2023, 40% of American workers were using company-issued computers, a growth from 37% in 2021. However, there’s an emerging trend of employees not using computers at all for work, which increased from 29% to 35% in two years, while smartphone usage has risen. This shift holds implications for tech enterprises basing projections on dominant computer usage.
Lastly, employer-provided computers are becoming increasingly, if belatedly, updated. By 2023, 46% of employees using both personal and work computers found their work PC to be the more recent device, up from 42% in 2021. This progression indicates a commitment to providing current tech tools in professional settings.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of American full-time and part-time employees who actively use a home computer for work-related activities, an employer-provided work computer, or the combination. It also compares the age of the employee’s home computer used for work with the age of the one supplied by the employer.
Shift in employee device hours and devices
Since the start of the pandemic, employees have needed to make tremendous changes. Employees in information-focused occupations and those needing to shift how they communicate relied on their connected devices to get work done. A growing number of employees lost access to an employer-provided computer. Many turned to using home computers for work, while yet others turned more often to their smartphones. Despite the challenges and changes, employees worldwide have managed to use their collection of devices for as many total hours while simultaneously using fewer devices.
This MetaFAQs reports on the usage levels of connected devices – smartphones, work computers, home computers, and tablets among employees in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China. Trending data spans from 2019 through 2022.
Declining use of home computers for work
The share of adults using home computers for work activities has declined sharply from a mid-pandemic peak. Current levels are below pre-pandemic levels. Some of the decline is due to many employees returning to their workplaces. Another factor is the long decline in the use of home computers as online adults embrace their smartphones for an increasing set of activities. This MetaFAQs reports on the percent of online adults using a home computer for any work-related activities from 2019 through 2022, both in the US as well as globally – US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China.