A look into how we are remote working – a survey from instantprint reveals exactly how our working habits look from home…

While many people had some experience with remote working prior to the pandemic, it has been a major adjustment for most, especially during lockdown. Although there are certainly many perks to remote work and many companies have seen an increase in productivity, there are also challenges, largely due to the fact that people and businesses did not have much time to prepare.

Split Opinion

Printing specialists instantprint recently carried out a survey about working from home which revealed some interesting statistics. Generally, it seems that the population is split with their feelings towards “the new normal”, with 34% wanting it to be permanent, 34% hoping to return on a part-time basis and another third wanting to return.

Distractions & Work Spaces

Distractions can be a big problem for many, especially those who have children (28%) and pets (20%), and this comes as no surprise when just 16% of people were revealed to be working from a dedicated home office. As mentioned, the fast arrival of the virus meant that people did not have much time to prepare, meaning 44% of respondents found themselves working in their living room. 20% of people stated that they were working in their bedroom and 17% in their kitchen – when you factor in that many households with have two or more people working remotely, it is no surprise that people are limited for space.

Jon Constantine-Smith, Head of instantprint, reflected on the survey findings: “Whilst there are naturally more distractions for us around the home due to that space being representative of our personal lives, it’s important to try and not be so hard on yourself and remember that there were also distractions in your normal working environment, whether that be an office, a studio, or otherwise.”

“As such, it’s integral that we create a calm and comfortable working environment, ensuring we can keep making a clear separation between our work and home lives – even if they may be sharing a space for now”.

Location

Where people live will also factor in, especially when you look at average internet speed, average property size, average property price and various other factors. This was another aspect researched by instantprint who found that Belfast, Birmingham, Nottingham and Manchester were the best places to work remotely while London, Cardiff and Sheffield proved more challenging remote working locations.

It has been interesting to see how people have taken to remote working this year, with opinion seemingly split. While there are certainly many perks that some people can enjoy, it is also important to understand the challenges and how hard it has been for many who do not have the best setup at home and may be keener to get back into the office than those that have a suitable space and home for remote work.