COVID-19 has produced changes in our lifestyles and for the first time since the industrial revolution produced a majority of Americans saying they prefer to work at home.
Metova’s April 2020 survey analyzed the responses of over 1,000 consumers. finding that 57% of respondents would prefer to keep on working from home. Almost half (48%) said they are more productive working from home.
An article in the New York Times asked “What if You Don’t Want to Go Back to the Office?
IBM surveyed 25, 000 people to gauge changes in perspective about work and found 54% of adults want to work remotely most of the time after the pandemic.
Other studies have shown that those who work from home full-time report being happier in their job 22% more than their counterparts who spent no time working from home.
Forbes magazine reported on May 20 that three out of five surveyed who had been working at home said they would prefer to continue working from home.
The Gallup Poll which tracks worker attitudes found three in five U.S. workers who have been doing their jobs from home during the coronavirus pandemic would prefer to continue to work remotely as much as possible.
Here are the reasons people prefer to work at home:
One study found 79% of workers say the quality of their work has improved. Many other studies come to similar conclusions.
- Cutting back on commuting time. The average American who drives to work spends 54 hours per year stuck in traffic, according to an analysis by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
- Less pollution. American cities are less polluted because of reduced traffic.
- Better health as people are exposed less to communicable diseases and have more time to exercise and stay physically fit, have fewer respiratory problems that come with driving
- Global Workplace Analytics estimates that people can save, on average, $2,000 to $6,500 every year by not spending on things like gasoline and daycare.
- Tax-wise, people who work at home can come out ahead. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the home office tax deduction for employees (anyone who receives a W-2). However, if produce self-employment income at home, you can still deduct home office expenses.
One of the rewards of working at home is spending more time with your pets. Here’s a link to an in-depth guide for working from home with a dog.
If you are seeking a way to spend more time working at home for an employer or wish to produce extra income, take a look at whether the opportunities of becoming a Digital Document Creator.