Home working gains popularity
by Bernard Harbor
 
The number of workers who want to work remotely all the time has almost tripled, and now stands at almost a third.
The number of workers who want to work remotely all the time has almost tripled, and now stands at almost a third.

Over 95% of workers now favour some form of remote working according to the second annual national remote working survey, conducted by NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission.

 

Like other surveys, including the one conducted by Fórsa last summer, it found that most workers preferred to spend some time at home and some in the office. The most popular option was working at home for three days a week.

 

The number of workers who want to work remotely all the time has almost tripled, and now stands at almost a third. Meanwhile, just 4.5% say they don’t want any form of remote work – down from 16% a year ago.

 

Just 12% of managers said remote work had reduced productivity, while 51% of employees said they were working more hours remotely than on-site. Most managers (47%) say there’s no difference in managing remote and workplace-based staff, while 44% say it’s more difficult.

 

When quizzed on their plans for post-pandemic work arrangements, three-quarters of employers said they’d made no firm decisions. But almost four-fifths of those who have decided say they will operate a hybrid model – mostly with staff on-site for two or three days a week.

 

The researchers surveyed 6,400 public and private sector workers, and 2,100 managers.

 

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