Working at Home During COVID: What Can We

Learn?



Los Angeles County Responses

PEOPLE ARE WORKING AT
HOME MORE THAN EVER
BEFORE

BUT HOW ARE THEY DOING?

 Some are likely
struggling to
concentrate

Others are doing

their best work ever
Remote Working Stats
• About half of employed adults are currently working from home; likely to continue
at least in the near term.1

• Nearly one in five chief financial officers plan to keep at least 20% of their
employees working remotely after the outbreak subsides.1

• Remote work options can improve job satisfaction, raise productivity, reduce
emissions, and improve access for those with disabilities and living in rural areas.2
1. “CFOs Plan to Permanently Shift Significant Numbers Of Employees To Work Remotely — Survey.” n.d. Accessed May 28, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ezequielminaya/2020/04/03/cfos-plan-
to-permanently-shift-significant-numbers-of-employees-to-work-remotely---survey/#5a3ae324575b.
2. Sawhill, Katherine Guyot and Isabel V. 2020. “Telecommuting Will Likely Continue Long after the Pandemic.” Brookings (blog). April 6, 2020. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/04/06/
telecommuting-will-likely-continue-long-after-the-pandemic/.
Remote Working Survey - Global

• ~75 Questions

• Ran for ~3 months

• Collected a total of over 45,000

responses
Remote Working Survey
44 States 88 Countries
Remote Working Survey

We received over 830 usable

responses from Los Angeles-based
participants.

We asked about productivity,

happiness, challenges, and
resources.
Outcomes
• Productive time
How many hours do you spend on the following activities in a typical workday: productive work
• Before COVID-19
• During COVID-19
• Change in time (during – before COVID)
• Ideal

• LEAPS Scale
Since working remotely due to COVID-19, how often during work were you bothered by:
• Productivity Issues
• Depression Symptoms
Factors
• Time and Tasks

• Home Environment

• Workplace

• Resources

• Challenges

• Personality
Time and Tasks
Time and Tasks
How are people spending their time before and during COVID? What is ideal?

People are sleeping

more, doing more
productive work, and
spending more time
with their family…

…but they’d like these

hours to increase even
more.
Time and Tasks
What about where people were working and where they want to work?

Whereas employees
were mostly working
from their offices
before COVID, they’d
like to balance their
work hours between
the office and home
in the future.
Time and Tasks
How have work tasks changed during COVID?

Employees are
spending more time
working alone and
working creatively
and less time in
meetings.
Time and Tasks
How has the change in the way time is spent impacted employees?

Those who experienced a lot of change

(high) in time spent on each task reported
slightly more productivity issues.
(not statistically significant)

Those who experienced very little

change (low) in time spent on each task
reported fewer depression symptoms.
(not statistically significant)
Home Environment
Home Environment
How does having kids and pets impact outcomes?

About a third of employees have kids under 18.

More than half of all employees have pets.
Home Environment
How does having kids and pets impact outcomes?

Employees with kids under

18 have lost some
productive time during
COVID-19 compared to their
counterparts without kids
under 18.
Home Environment
How does having kids and pets impact outcomes?

Having kids or pets does not seem to have a

major impact on productivity, though those with
kids under 5 report more productivity issues.

Those with kids under 5 also report

higher depression symptoms.
(not statistically significant)
 Home Environment
What about having help with childcare?

Before COVID-19, did

you have support
from extended family,
nanny or network able to
contribute to looking after
your child(ren)?

Have you lost this

extended family, nanny
or network support since
COVID-19?
Those who have and retained help with
their kids during COVID were able to make
productive working gains.

Those who had support, but lost it during

COVID-19 lost productive work time.
Home Environment
What about having help with childcare?

Those who have and retained help report fewer productivity

issues and depression symptoms and those who had help,
but lost it during COVID report higher depression symptoms.
(Not statistically significant)
Home Environment
Are those with long commutes under normal circumstances affected differently?

Those with long normal commutes report working more productive

hours both before and during COVID. This group has seen a gain in
productive hours during COVID.
Home Environment
Are those with long commutes under normal circumstances affected differently?

Those with short normal commutes reported slightly greater

productivity issues and higher depression symptoms.
Workplace
 Workplace Factors
What are employee opinions about remote working?

Employees would
support a remote
working policy and
feel remote working is
a win-win for the
employer and
employees.
Workplace Factors
How does perception of organizational support impact remote work?

How much do you agree/disagree (5 point scale) with these

statements when considering remote working BEFORE Covid?
1. My supervisor has a positive attitude towards working
remotely (+)
2. My supervisor trusts me to work remotely (+)
3. Working remotely is good for the organization and/or provides
a competitive edge (+)
4. Working remotely negatively impacts an employee’s possibility
of being promoted (-)
Workplace Factors
How does perception of organizational support impact remote work?

Those who
perceive high
organizational
support report
working more
productive hours
during COVID and
have gained more
productive working
time.
Workplace Factors
How does perception of organizational support impact remote work?

Those who perceive low organizational support for

remote working report greater productivity issues and
greater depression symptoms.
(statistically significant)
Resources
Technology Resources
How does having resources impact productivity and happiness with remote
working?
Technology Resources
How does having resources impact productivity and happiness with remote
working?

Those with a
high number of
tech resources
have gained the
most
productive
time during
COVID.
Technology Resources
How does having resources impact productivity and happiness with remote
working?

Those with a high number of tech resources report

slightly fewer productivity issues and depression
symptoms, but this difference was not significant.
 Technology Resources
Which resources/practices do employees and managers think would be most helpful?

Both regular employees

and managers stated that
stated that having “more
transparency from
leadership” would be a
helpful resource.

Better technology and

practices for meetings
also scored highly.
Challenges
Challenges
What do employees report are their biggest challenges?

Technology problems (e.g. slow internet)

Blurring boundaries between work and leisure time

Employees are most
Distractions/interruptions
challenged while
Poor time management/ prioritization
working remotely by
Lack of human interaction the lack of human
Poor communication interaction and
Feeling disconnected to team members blurred boundaries
Not fully trusting colleagues/ management between work and
Not feeling supported leisure.
Problems managing workflow
 Challenges
How are some of those challenges impacting productivity? – Lack of human interaction

Those who are highly challenged by

the lack of human interaction have lost
productive work time during COVID.
 Challenges
How are some of those challenges impacting productivity? – Lack of human interaction

Those who are highly challenged by the

lack of human interaction are
experiencing more productivity issues
and depression symptoms.
Challenges
How are some of those challenges impacting productivity? – Blurred boundaries

Those who are highly challenged by

blurred boundaries have lost
productive work time during COVID.
Challenges
How are some of those challenges impacting productivity? – Blurred boundaries

Those who are not challenged by the blurred

boundaries are experiencing fewer productivity
issues and depression symptoms.
Personality
Personality
How does self-control impact remote working?

Those with high self-control have

gained more productive time.
Personality
How does self-control impact remote working?

Those with low self-control report

experiencing more productivity
issues.

They are also experiencing more

depression symptoms.
Personality
What about other personality traits?

People high in openness

and conscientiousness
and people low in
agreeableness appear to
be gaining very slightly
more productive time.
Personality
What about other personality traits?

People low in conscientiousness and agreeableness and

those high in neuroticism report more productivity issues and
higher depression symptoms.
JUST LA METRO EMPLOYEES
Duke Remote Work Survey: LA Metro Employees
Key Findings: Productivity & Resource Needs
• 1,800 non-contract employees offered the survey,
~500 responses, ~25% response rate.
• People are doing more productive work now
Time Spent (hours)
(teleworking) and have more time for personal
9
wellness. Before COVID During COVID Ideal

• Metro employees want a balanced schedule: 40% of 6.686.84

7.06
6.73
time in the office 60% of time teleworking after 7
6.20 6.38

recovery.
• Not everyone has all the tech resources they need. 5

However, those with a high number of tech resources

have gained the most productive time during 2.34
2.05
2.472.55
2 2.03 2.00 1.94
COVID. 1.36 1.471.54
1.68 1.74
1.461.641.49

• Teleworking reduced 788 Metric Tons Annually of

GHG’ in addition to what our commute program 0
Sleeping Unproductive Work Passive Leisure Spend Time with Family
usually contributes.
Duke Remote Work Survey: LA Metro Employees
Key Findings: Productivity & Resource Needs
• 1,800 non-contract employees offered the survey,
~500 responses, ~25% response rate. Time Spent
• People are doing more productive work now (percentage of hours)
(teleworking) and have more time for personal 100

wellness. 88.3727
Before COVID
• Metro employees want a balanced schedule: 40% of 80 After COVID (Ideal)
time in the office 60% of time teleworking after
recovery. 60
54.5614
• Not everyone has all the tech resources they need.
40.8682
However, those with a high number of tech resources 40

have gained the most productive time during

COVID. 20

• Teleworking reduced 788 Metric Tons Annually of 7.7023

3.42272.6045
GHG’ in addition to what our commute program 0.50231.9659
0
usually contributes. Main Office Home Satellite Office Coffee Shop
Duke Remote Work Survey: LA Metro Employees
Key Findings: Productivity & Resource Needs
• 1,800 non-contract employees offered the survey,
~500 responses, ~25% response rate.
• People are doing more productive work now Technology
Low (1-4)
(teleworking) and have more time for personal Resources 10%
None (0)
wellness. 2%

• Metro employees want a balanced schedule:40% of

time in the office 60% of time teleworking after
recovery.
Medium (5-6)
• Not everyone has all the tech resources they need. 28%
However, those with a high number of tech resources High (7-10)
60%
have gained the most productive time during
COVID.
• Teleworking reduced 788 Metric Tons Annually of
GHG’ in addition to what our commute program
usually contributes.
Can behavioral science help remote working?
Can behavioral science help?

Structuring Time Setting Work Norms

Work Buddies Deep Work Strategies
Setting Routines Commitment Devices
Structuring Home Spontaneous Interaction
Environment