More than a third of employees spend an average of an hour a day working from bed (35%), according to new research.
A survey of 2,000 people who work mostly or entirely remotely explored how working from home has evolved over the last few years. Prior to the pandemic, when respondents worked outside of the office, they reported working from a hotel (43%), a friend or family member’s home (36%) or coffee shop (28%).
Nearly a third of those surveyed even worked from their car (28%) and others worked while wave-watching at the beach (8%).
That mobile office mentality has given way to the home office. Now, most respondents work primarily from a dedicated home office (63%).
Conducted by OnePoll for Office Depot, the survey found that 55% of people who recently moved did so, at least in part, because they needed a better home office workspace.
The lack of a dedicated home workspace is even more of an issue for those who have had roommates. A quarter of those who live with others report needing more space since they share a workspace with other members of their household, and 31% of these respondents said they have a hard time evenly dividing the time.
In addition, creating a successful home office space that encourages productivity requires both time and money. The average remote worker has spent about $1,700 of their own money on equipment or tools to work more comfortably from home, with 30% claiming they have “remodeled” their workspace at least three times since they first started working from home.
Respondents said the most underrated products for having a productive and enjoyable home office environment are an adjustable chair (24%), a spacious desk with storage (22%), organizational tools like planners or desk organizers (10%) and a laptop stand/riser (9%).
While working remotely may not be perfect for everyone, respondents said the pros outweighed the cons. They reported being able to dress comfortably (57%), having no commute (54%) and working on their own schedule (53%) as the top perks.
And with more than three in four (77%) saying at least half of their time is spent in their home office compared to all the other rooms in their home, workers are looking to customize these spaces more than ever.