Work from home & remote work - Statistics & Facts

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Apr 21, 2022

Working from home prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020 had been a luxury. However, the advancement of digitalization and the shift to a more knowledge-based economy have made the option of remote work and hybrid work more realistic for employers and employees. The world has changed. Currently, the ability to work remotely has become of crucial importance for employment decisions. Companies worldwide have experienced significant reductions in the fixed costs of supporting a workplace environment, while upper management levels have gained confidence in their employees’ home office performance. Aside from a more flexible schedule and the possibility of working from anywhere, employees stated that home office environments were also better for them from a financial perspective. Despite experiencing difficulties with the lack of face-to-face interaction and challenges with collaboration and communication tools, approximately seven out of ten employees in the U.S. found it easier and less stressful to give a presentation in online meetings than in person in 2021.

Collaboration tools enable remote work

Currently, collaboration tools emphasize the role modern technologies play in enabling different remote work concepts. Not only are information technology decision-makers looking to improve IT infrastructure and work-from-home-capabilities, but employees are also acknowledging the many different applications and devices that can positively impact their work environment. Collaboration software became an essential pillar in supporting remote and hybrid workforce environments, by enabling new communication channels and improving team cohesion. In 2021, companies’ main investment IT priorities to support work from home were cloud-enabled technologies and digital collaboration tools. Despite the many advantages of video conferencing software, improvements still need to be made, as remote work turns into the new standard set-up. In 2021, network and security professionals spent over ten hours per week troubleshooting unified communication issues.

Keeping remote workforce secure

From unsecured wi-fi connections to unattended computers and data breaches, IT professionals have found it more challenging to address company vulnerabilities nowadays than before. However, the most critical threat remains the human factor. Employees often breach security policies and controls to get their job done efficiently. Consequently, in 2021, employees all over the world began to benefit from a formal education process for new and updated security policies, as well as from a thorough education on security procedures. Over the last few years, companies in Europe and North America have dedicated significantly higher time and resources to implementing security training tools for their employees. Companies are responsible for normalizing security training and workshops within the workplace culture. Ensuring employees can properly identify phishing emails, and other cyber threats, such as malware or credential theft, brings companies one step closer to reducing the success rate of a cyber breach.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

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Overview
Employer perspective
Employee perspective: Benefits
Employee perspective: Challenges
Companies
Special focus: Technology resources
Special focus: Keeping remote work secure
Special focus: Shadow IT
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