Distractions, lack of tech deter workers from using remote perks, study shows

Dive Brief:

Forty-seven percent of the 2,800 workers surveyed by Robert Half said their employers offer remote work options, according to a Jan. 21 press release.
Of the workers who work for companies with remote work options, 70% use the perk by working from home and another 6% report to work from another location, such as a shared office space or coffee shop. The remaining 24% who do not work remotely said they choose not to because they lack the necessary technology or because distractions would tank their productivity.
"In an employment market that favors job seekers, businesses need to provide greater workplace flexibility to attract and retain top performers," Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half, commented in a media release. "This goes beyond giving staff permission to work off-site or during nontraditional hours. Employers should check that professionals have the proper equipment and guidelines to do their jobs effectively outside the office." McDonald added, however, that not every employee is suited to remote work, but that those who are given the option can be successful by creating an effective workspace and checking in periodically with their team members.

Dive Insight:

Flexible work schedules are no longer nice-to-have perks. They've become the norm, according to 74% of the respondents in a 2019 IWG survey. An even greater percentage of respondents said they would take a job offering flexibility over one that does not. Given the great demand among workers for work-at-home and other off-site working venues, it follows that more employers plan to offer remote work options, as the Robert Half survey confirmed.

Just as workers are taking jobs offering remote-work options, they're also leaving jobs that don't offer flexible benefits. That was the finding in a 2019 annual FlexJob survey, as expressed by a third of the respondents polled. Their top reasons for wanting flexibility in their work schedules were the desire for work-life balance, more family time, time savings and less stressful commutes. Survey outcomes like this can be useful to employers in creating their own remote-work programs.