People in Canada and the UK work more from home than employees elsewhere – with no evidence that it impacts their productivity.
That’s according to a major study by King’s College London and Stanford, US. It found that Canadians and Brits work an average of 1.9 and 1.8 days per week from home, respectively – way above the global average of 1.3.
“Workers are using remote work not just for convenience, but as a way to rethink their priorities – whether that’s spending time with family, avoiding long commutes, or living further from expensive city centres,” noted Dr Cevat Giray Aksoy, associate professor of economics at King’s. “We find no strong evidence that remote work comes at the cost of productivity, as many of its sceptics have feared.”
The study – based on a survey of 16,000 full-time, university-educated people spanning 40 nations – said the shift is “forcing businesses, policymakers, and city planners to reimagine everything from office space to transport to regional growth”.
Previous research into remote working has painted a contradictory picture, with some studies suggesting that it boosts productivity and others claiming the opposite. “It is highly dependent on how well it’s managed,” the International Monetary Fund noted.
Image: Cristian Tarzi