Remote Working Statistics 2019: 21 Stats that Will Surprise You

It’s no secret that remote working is on the rise.

In fact, it’s said that more than half of the population choose to work remotely at least once a week. Does that surprise you?

There are a lot more remote working statistics that will intrigue you, and give you more of an idea as to what this new-fangled concept of not actually having to be in an office to work is about.

We’ve collected 21 of the best working remotely stats to perfectly illustrate this.

Without further ado, let’s dig in:

1) 70% of people worldwide work remotely at least once per week

This statistic demonstrates both how popular the new concept of working remotely is, and how it is completely global. Working away from the office is something that is now done all over the world – which is quite fitting, as working remotely opens up the world!

2) Working remotely cuts fuel emissions dramatically

This may not be a concept that you consider when in the employment process, but one of the best working from home statistics to consider is the amount of carbon emissions it saves. If one person doesn’t make an hour round-trip commute once a week, the savings in fuel emissions can add up and be huge.

3) There are other environmental benefits to consider

Running an office space is always going to come at a cost to the environment. We have the heating on for a large part of the year in the UK, which obviously increases depending on the number of workers in the office. There are plenty of ways to be more eco-friendly at work, but a large way to be more sustainable is to limit the amount of people who are being catered for.

4) Half of the UK workforce is expected to work remotely by 2020

One of the most impressive remote working stats for the UK is that, as soon as next year, half of the people working in the UK are set to work remotely. This staggering rise in remote workers shows a huge change in the way the workplace in this country functions.

5) The biggest struggle for remote workers is wellness-related

While remote working is great, there are negative aspects to it as well. Many remote workers, especially those who work from home, can experience bad mental health due to it. A huge 49% say that their main issue is related to wellness.

This is often due to struggling to unwind after work (22% of workers have this problem) and 19% of people have issues with loneliness.

6) No shortage of motivation for remote workers

Only 8% of remote workers have problems with staying motivated which might be one of the more surprising work remotely statistics for you to hear! Quite a few employers worry about hiring a remote workforce because of this, but generally a large percentage of remote workers manage to stay focused.

7) Remote work can increase worker productivity

A Stanford University study has discovered that digital nomads are 13% more productive than in-office workers, getting more done with their days.

8) 23% of remote workers will put in their extra hours for work-related tasks

This could be due to a sense of gratitude from having the chance to work remotely, or not needing to commute or rush off for a train, making ‘just 10 more minutes’ seem a lot more feasible.

9) Over 50% of developers said working remotely is a priority

Developers are amongst the many professions that are seeking out remote working options, with many of them citing it as a priority. Bearing this in mind, remote is definitely the workplace of the future.

10) 32% of employees offer remote workers unlimited time off, but it varies a lot

A common conception for remote work is that unlimited time off is guaranteed, but this isn’t always the case – it is up to the employer how much time off they grant.

That being said, nearly a third of companies offer unlimited time off – but some offer as little as one week per year. Furthermore, because a lot of remote work is paid for by the hour and there are no contracts, a lot of employees do not have any paid time off, but can take unpaid leave when they desire.

11) 4% of workers mainly work in cafes

This doesn’t seem like a huge amount, but 37% of remote workers say that cafes are the place where they spend the second biggest amount of time. Most cafes now have at least one or two people typing away on laptops – which some business owners aren’t too impressed with.

The main rules of coffee shop etiquette are to make sure that purchases are made frequently and to not visit the same coffee shop every single day!

12) 84% of remote workers work mainly from home

The huge majority of remote workers spend most of their time working from home. This is due to it being convenient and there being no commute and giving time to watch over pets and children.

The flexibility of working remotely is a huge perk for many digital nomads, and being able to factor other things into their life is important.

13) 99% of workers say that they would like to work remotely at some point for the rest of their career

This staggering statistic shows just how mainstream remote work is. While this is just a general survey, suggesting how many people would like to experience remote work and doesn’t necessarily indicate it as a necessity for them, it still shows how popular the idea of working out of offices is becoming.

It must be considered that many people being employed now are millennials, who have different expectations in the workplace – one of these being the freedom to work remotely.

14) Most employees pay for co-working spaces and the internet

One of the great ways that businesses can save money and benefit from remote workers is by not having to fork out the money that keeps the office space running. A huge majority of workers pay for their own internet and co-working spaces, keeping costs down for employees.

15) Workers save money as well

From saving money on commuting, to not having to buy special work clothes, there are plenty of ways that workers can save money when becoming a digital nomad. Some employees even move and live in cheaper countries if their work permits – which leads to huge savings!

16) 40% of workers say that a flexible schedule is a huge benefit for working remotely

In fact, this is the biggest perk of not working in an office. While some remote workers need to be online at certain times to check in and go to meetings, a lot of independent work can be done whenever it suits. This is perfect for people who have other commitments and those who work well at different times of the day!

17) 43% of remote workers take less than 3 weeks off

Even though a lot of people get unlimited time off, they don’t necessarily take it. Nearly half of remote workers take under three weeks off – which is less than UK workers in office jobs typically get.

18) There are lots of ways to have remote workers and many companies do different ones

Many companies have workers who work remotely all the time, but other ‘remote workers’ still come into the office once or twice per week. Remote working doesn’t have to be an all or nothing scenario!

19) Remote companies are more likely to have female CEOs than traditional businesses

Women are rocking the remote working world – in fact, Remote.co has discovered that remote companies are much more likely to have female CEOs. While the state of gender equality in the workplace could still be majorly improved, the amount of women in leadership roles in remote companies is much more impressive.

28% of remote companies (either mostly or completely remote) have women in leadership roles: either as CEO, founder or president. While there is still a long way to go to reach equality, this is a big improvement on the average of 5-7% of non-remote companies having women as CEOs.

20) In-office hardware can complement remote work

Some businesses aren’t cut out to be fully remote, but can easily be partially or mostly remote. For these companies, the right hardware is key.

Using technology like interactive displays can connect your remote workers making them feel like they are in the room with you. They’re made with collaboration in mind, but this doesn’t have to be just in-house!

We have a range of interactive displays at Avocor. They can also be used for fully remote teams, as long as they have a ‘base’ where they can be installed.

21) In many ways, remote work improves mental health

Mental health is on the forefront of many people’s minds at the moment, with companies taking as active an interest in their workers’ mental health as their physical health (which is certainly the way it should be!).

We’ve already discussed some of the wellness challenges that remote workers face, but it must also be mentioned that working remotely can have great positive impacts on people’s mental health. This is because:

- it lowers stress levels in up to 82% of workers

- 45% of workers get more sleep when working remotely, which is highly beneficial for good mental health.

Conclusion

If you didn’t already know, these remote working UK statistics and global statistics will soon have you realising that working remotely is on the rise and shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.

Now the ball’s in the employers’ court. Do they swim against the current by disregarding the remote working trends or grant their employees the opportunity to occasionally take their talents elsewhere to boost productivity?

Time will tell.