How COVID has changed the way employees work
COVID-19 didn't just force people to stay home – it also impacted the way people work, even to this day.
Before the pandemic, only a small percentage of people worked from home. In 2019, about 9 million people in the U.S., or 5.7% of the workforce, worked remotely full-time according to the U.S Census.
When COVID-19 hit, many companies quickly switched from in-person work to remote work to keep their operations running while complying with lockdown and social distancing policies.
Many companies invested in technology and tools to support remote work, such as video conferencing software, project management tools, and secure communication platforms. This allowed employees to continue their work from home efficiently.
Long-Term Effect
Even after COVID-19, remote work has remained popular. By 2021, the number of people working from home had increased significantly, with around 27.6 million people, or 17.9% of the U.S. workforce, working remotely according to the U.S Census. As of 2024, remote work continues to be a common practice. More than 1 in 5 of the U.S Workforce will be working from home by 2025, according to a study by UpWork.
Why Remote Work is Still Thriving
- Employee Preference
- Many employees enjoy the flexibility and comfort of working from home. According to a survey of about 3,000 employees from top companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, 64% say that they prefer permanent work from home more than a $30,000 raise. According to Pew Research, 71% say that working from home helps them maintain a work-life balance (either fully, mostly, or somewhat).
- Cost Savings
- Companies can save on the costs and maintenance fees that a physical office has. Employees save on time required to commute and costs associated with commuting.
- Productivity
- A study by Stanford University have shown that remote work can maintain or even boost productivity. In the summer of 2020, remote employees were 5% more productive than employees who commuted to work. In Spring 2022, a new study showed that remote employees were 9% more productive than onsite employees.
- Technology
- Because of tools such as Zoom and Slack, remote work thrived. Companies became more familiar with these technologies and used them to stay connected and productive, with ease of use being a key benefit.
