The majority of office workers think working in an office is actually hurting the environment, according to new research.
For Earth Day, a global poll of 2,250 office workers discovered that 77% reveal that working from home is one of most effective ways to help the environment.
The average office worker reveals they save nearly an hour every single day just commuting to their jobs — that’s five hours in a single week that Global office workers could get back just by working from home.
Office workers surveyed are increasingly becoming more aware of their carbon footprint. A whopping 84% worry about their environmental impact.
The study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with GoTo by LogMeIn aimed to uncover how office workers feel about working from home and their environmental impact.
The survey of 1,000 U.S office workers, 250 office workers in India, the U.K., Brazil and Germany, 125 office workers in Australia and 125 office workers in New Zealand found that nearly half (48%) of surveyed office workers would happily take a pay cut if it meant they could work from home indefinitely.
Over 75% of respondents say their commute to work is something they feel guilty about when it comes to the daily impact it has on the environment.
From using plastic bags daily (67%) and improperly throwing away recyclables in the trash (61%) to using plastic straws (59%) and throwing away leftover lunches (59%), office workers are working to change their environmentally harmful habits.
But, it’s not just the environmental impact benefit that working from home proves appealing to workers. Respondents report they spend nearly an hour commuting on average to and from work.
Beyond time-saving (72%) of office workers surveyed say saving money (66%) is a huge perk to working from home.
Other benefits associated with working remotely include the ability to spend more time with family and friends (56%), feeling happier (45%) and being more productive (37%).
Over half surveyed (57%) reveal that working from home provides them with the ability to embrace a more flexible schedule while a further 48% say they can save money on things like their commute or childcare when they work remotely.
But, beyond that, 56% say they simply enjoy the ability to wear whatever they want when working from home.
Another 46% of those studied say one of the best things about working remotely is the close access to their kitchen while a further 44% can get some of their weekend chores out of the way.
A spokesperson for GoTo by LogMeIn stated:
“We’ve long seen the benefits of remote work to allow employees to have more flexible schedules, but as most of the world has turned to full-time remote working amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the unexpected benefits is the impact this is already having on the environment,” said Mark Strassman, SVP and GM for Unified Communications & Collaboration at LogMeIn. “It’s clear from our survey that office workers are concerned about the impact their behavior is having on the environment, and allowing them to work full-time or even part-time remote can help to mitigate carbon emissions, save employees’ time, and ultimately create a work culture where employees are happier and more productive.”
And 64% of workers surveyed say working from home makes them more productive.
TOP 5 PERKS OF WORKING FROM HOME
- Flexible schedule 52%
- Saving money 48%
- Access to kitchen 47%
- Wearing whatever they want 45%
- Completing weekend to-do’s 44%
