Key insights:
On average, remote workers manage six hours or less of focused work daily, with 26% having skipped entire workdays.
Some 50% of remote workers run errands during working hours, while 11% frequently spend more time on household chores than work.
Some 56% of remote workers go entire weeks without leaving home, while 1 in 4 do not speak to anyone for days.
However, despite the negatives, 56% of remote workers insist it has improved their work- life balance.
Working from home is the new norm, favored for offering flexible work schedules, reduced burnout, and better work-life balance. Remote work doesn't have everyone convinced, however.
Many employers are pushing for a return to the office, citing concerns over remote team performance, collaboration, and culture. This conflict begs the question: is remote work really working?
Headway app surveyed 1,000 remote workers across the United States to learn more about their experiences of working from home. The results show that while work-life balance has improved, it often comes at the cost of productivity.
Work from home efficiency: Are remote workers getting enough done?
The traditional nine-to-five has survived the switch to remote working - for the most part, at least. While 57% of employees start and end their day at the scheduled time, 19% admit that they rarely or never stick to their contracted hours.
While some start their workday a little late, others skip it altogether. Some 26% of remote workers admit they have taken an entire day off without anyone noticing, with 7% regularly slacking off.
While 23% of work-from-home employees achieve peak remote work productivity—working a full eight hours, if not more—that’s far from the norm. Most commonly, remote workers complete just six hours of focused work each day, while 24% are clocking off after just four hours or less—highlighting the struggle employers face to maintain remote employee motivation.
Remote workers might not put in 100% all the time, but they are going above and beyond to stop their bosses from finding out. Some 40% admit to faking activity to trick their employee tracking system into thinking they're hard at work, with 18% doing so occasionally and 4% frequently.
Employee engagement: Remote work distractions pulling workers from their screens
Taking five minutes to make the bed or drive to the store to collect a parcel won’t hurt, right? Some 50% of remote workers admit to running personal errands when they should be on the clock. After all that multitasking, many need a well-earned rest—with 23% taking naps during the workday.
But the distractions of working from home don't end there. If employees aren't sleeping, taking a walk, or having sex, 13% admit they use the time to earn a little extra, freelancing on the side at their employer’s expense.
Everyone’s entitled to a quick break now and then, but for many remote workers, the line between work and life has become so blurred that it’s no longer about taking a break from work to focus on the personal to-do list. Rather, most are taking a break from life to do some work, with 54% admitting they sometimes or often spend more time on household chores than their actual job.
Working from home anywhere: Alternatives to the home office
Forget working from home—armed with a laptop and reliable Wi-Fi connection, remote workers are showcasing digital nomad productivity. Some 41% have turned a moving vehicle into their mobile office, while 18% have traded their desk for a sunny beach.
With plenty of remote work communication tools to choose between, many workers have swapped the conference room for a comfy quilt, with 29% admitting they have taken a work meeting from bed.
From bed to desk: Does remote work have a hygiene problem?
Remote workers don't always keep their location or attire strictly professional, and Zoom backgrounds can only hide so much. To avoid any awkwardness (or a meeting with HR), 13% have switched their camera off to hide where they really are, while 7% blame a more revealing reason: they weren't fully dressed.
But the most common reason? Rolling out of bed without time to freshen up. Some 30% admitted to hiding their face as they hadn't showered or weren't happy with their appearance.
Many people prefer remote work due to the time it saves—but not just on the commute. Some 67% admit that they often skip their daily shower too, with 35% going a few days and 7% taking an entire week off from personal hygiene.
Remote work burnout: The negative side of working from home
Remote working may be hailed for offering better work-life balance, but are employees taking advantage of the job perks? Some 56% admit they go entire weeks without leaving home, with 19% doing so often. 
For many remote workers, home is no longer a haven—it’s a constant reminder of their looming deadlines and never-ending to-do list, with 14% admitting they have grown to hate certain rooms in their homes.
Shuffling straight from bed to desk and back again, with only short bathroom breaks and coffee stops in between, remote working is slowly fuelling a more sedentary lifestyle, with 38% confessing they have put on weight since quitting the workplace.
But it's not just physical health taking a hit, with 56% confessing to going over 24 hours without human contact. For 8%, it's a full week or more, and 27% admit to spending days in isolation—which is bound to stop the mind from performing at its best.
Home sweet home office: Does remote working boost work-life balance?
But despite its drawbacks, 56% of remote workers still swear by the benefits of remote working, insisting it has improved their work- life balance.
Where remote work offers flexibility and comfort, office work provides socialization and mobility. Choosing between them is much like picking between two job offers—it’s a matter of weighing up the pros and cons and deciding which one works best for you.
Methodology: To create this study, researchers from Headway surveyed 1,000 professionals of all genders, aged 18 and over, who work remotely. The study includes participants from the US.
About Headway
With over 50 million users in 170+ countries, the Headway app is the world's most downloaded book summary app. It offers 15-minute audio and text summaries of nonfiction bestsellers, as well as daily microlearning sessions and gamified challenges. The app is designed to help people achieve their self-development goals. Headway received the Editor's Choice award from the US App Store and constantly hits the App Store home screen as App of the Day.
