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
More employees in larger companies use a work printer
Workers in smaller businesses are less likely to use a work printer than employees in larger firms. Worldwide, medium-sized firms have the highest rate of work printing, while in the US the rates are similar between medium-sized and large firms.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of workers who actively use a work/self-employed printer, split by the size of the employer. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1220_wprt] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
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
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
Employees in IT/FIRE/Professional use computers for the most hours
Knowledge workers are employed by nearly every industry, although concentrated in certain industries. Computers are used for the most hours among employees in the IT/FIRE/Professional industries: Information technology, finance, insurance, and real estate, and other professional trades.
This MetaFAQs details the average number of hours workers use computers across five countries by industry group: Basic/Manufacturing, Services, IT/FIRE/Professional, and Education/Government.
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
More employees in large companies use a work printer
More employees in large companies use a work printer – Employees in larger companies are more likely to be actively using a work printer than employees with smaller employers. Somebody, somewhere, needs that paper printed. That the percentage would be higher among larger employers may seem at first to be a matter of company size. However, these TUP penetration statistics are based on responses per employee, not per employer. Active printing rates are also because larger companies tend to find it harder to change. Many are set in their ways, especially those adhering to defined procedures and practices. That’s not to suggest that printing on paper is a regressive practice. But, among many circles, it’s considered passé. Especially as digital transformation continues and a growing number of employees are using collaboration tools, paper forms and reports are facing downdrafts in usage.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percent of employees regularly using an employer-provided printer by the size of the employer. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1001_wpri] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
Work/Life Balance TUP Lens [Highlights]
With the pandemic, many more employees are working from home. This TUP Highlights Report profiles employees by how often they work from home and their expectations of the near future. It profiles them demographically, by their type of employer, their connected devices, and their work-related activities.
Tablets – Highlights
Tablets continue to seek a solid home, major use cases, and most vital segments. Currently, the largest groups of users are passive, older, or entrenched in the Apple or Google ecosystem. While Apple continues to lead and increase its share, other makers like Samsung are seeing withering penetration. Incidental and passive activities from web browsing, shopping, movie-watching, and checking email haven’t been unique enough on tablets to entice users away from their smartphones or computers.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: the profile of tablet users, trends in tablets, top tablet brands, top tablet activities, unique tablet activities, and trends in technology ecosystems.
Platforms for employees using professional creative software for work purposes
Employees have a wide range of devices they regularly use for many work-related activities. Professional creative software is often the most demanding. However, the response to the pandemic has led to many employees working from home and using different devices than they typically use.
This MetaFAQs reports on the number of US, Germany, UK, and Japanese employees who regularly use professional creative software. It details how many use it on their primary computer, home computer, work computer, smartphone, or tablet.