As companies continue to push for their employees to return to the office, a new survey provides surprising insights into the work habits of people who work from home. In the U.S., 32% of telecommuters admit to secretly working while on vacation without their bosses knowing.

This finding strengthens the arguments of employers advocating for a return to the office, pointing to increased accountability and oversight. Despite strong resistance from employees and companies like Amazon, the survey results show why some companies remain committed to bringing their employees back to the office. Recent return-to-office orders have had mixed results in countries like India and the United States.

In the US, technology giants such as Microsoft, Apple and SpaceX have seen a significant attrition of top talent, according to research from the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago and Ipsos Public Affairs.

After Amazon CEO Andy Jassy urged staff to return to the office, employees threatened “soft resignations.” In addition, a recent survey by PR agency Reboot Online found that online searches for “legal right to work from home” among UK Amazon employees have increased sharply in the past week.

Despite widespread opposition and controversy surrounding return-to-work policies, many companies are sticking with their employees returning to work. While the reasons for this decision may vary among companies, a new survey provides a compelling argument for implementing such a policy.

How remote workers spend their time

Remote and hybrid workers often boast about their productivity, claiming they’re free from office distractions and time-consuming commutes. But a new survey sheds light on how remote workers actually spend their time. Spoiler alert: It’s not always about white papers and PowerPoint presentations.

While office workers waste their time messaging friends or scrolling through TikTok, remote workers often use their distance from management to complete personal tasks or simply laze around.

According to a SurveyMonkey survey of 3,117 full-time employees in the United States, nearly half of telecommuters multitask while on work calls or do household chores such as emptying the dishwasher or doing laundry.

Nearly a third of telecommuters use the flexibility of telecommuting to complete personal tasks, such as grocery shopping or picking up dry cleaning. In addition, one in five telecommuters have admitted to taking naps during work hours.

A significant number of telecommuters, about 17 percent, admitted to working from another location without telling anyone or engaging in activities such as watching television or playing video games. In addition, a smaller percentage, 4 percent, admitted to having another job while telecommuting.

From naps to online shopping

Multitasking during Zoom calls is a common practice among remote and hybrid workers, with one-third admitting to going to the bathroom during calls. At the same time, 21 percent said they engaged in activities such as browsing social media, 14 percent went shopping online, 12 percent did laundry, and 9 percent used the time to clean the kitchen.

One surprising finding: Four percent of teleworkers admitted to falling asleep on Zoom calls, while three percent admitted to taking a shower. “Employees make their own rules to meet the demands of high-pressure work environments,” said Wendy Smith, senior manager of research science at SurveyMonkey.

“We found that what might be called ‘off-the-record behavior’ is widespread,” Smith added. Even managers and executives are guilty of multitasking during work calls. More than half of managers and 49 percent of executives admit to doing so, Smith said.

When asked, “Have you ever surfed social media while on a video or conference call at work?” managers, executives, and individual employees responded with similar rates: 22 percent, 20 percent, and 21 percent, respectively.

However, managers and executives shopped online more often during business calls than individuals: 16 percent and 14 percent of respondents respectively, compared to only 12 percent of individuals. Generational differences in work habits are obvious:

• 26 percent of Millennials admitted to taking naps during the workday, compared to 16 percent of Generation X.
• 18 percent of Generation Z have had another job, while this was only the case for 2 percent of Generation X and 1 percent of the Baby Boomer generation.
• 31 percent of Generation Z have worked from another location without informing anyone, compared to 16 percent of Generation X.

As companies push for a return to the office, remote workers continue to maximize the flexibility of their work arrangements, highlighting the ongoing tension between employers’ desire for in-person collaboration and employees’ preference for remote work.