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 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
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
IT, FIRE, and professional industries have highest remote working rates
Certain industries offer greater flexibility regarding whether employees are required to work onsite or remotely. In particular, IT (Information technology) and FIRE (finance, insurance, real estate) involve working with digital data, software, and online tools. Also, these jobs typically have less physical requirements than industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, education, or retail. Also, these technical industries are often focused on outcomes and less on being present for a certain number of hours. Furthermore, these industries have been early adopters of digital technology.
The highest rates of working remotely are among the IT/FIRE/Professional industries and lowest among Education/Government. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1205_fire] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
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
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
Most employers have employees BYOD
Most employers have employees BYOD – The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped many established practices. During this period, many employees transitioned to remote work, leaning on familiar consumer technologies. Consequently, Zoom became a popular choice for virtual meetings over platforms like Webex, which are more corporate-centric. For document collaboration, many opted for Google Docs over more enterprise-focused cloud solutions. Regarding hardware, many employees utilized their personal smartphones and computers. This shift caught numerous employers by surprise. Adapting quickly wasn’t feasible for all, leading some to permit employees to use personal devices. Eventually, facilitating workers with company-approved devices would require careful planning, time, and resources. Many employers acquiesced despite increased security risks and management costs, shifting much of this burden to employees. In light of these developments, the concept of “”bring your own device”” (BYOD) seemed more like “buy your own device.”
This MetaFAQs reports on the number of online employees who use a home-owned computer for work-related activities as compared to the number who use an employer-provided computer in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1021_byod] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Activities; Work/Life Balance