New data from TonerGiant has lifted the lid on what hybrid workers are really getting up to when working from home (WFH), and how differently they act when they’re in the office.
2,000 nationally representative hybrid workers were surveyed to uncover the secret confessions that employees are guilty of when working from home.
Most commonly, employees admit to socialising with friends and family on the clock when WFH. 27% of British hybrid workers have done this within the past year, but it’s more significant amongst Gen-Z staff, where 39% admit to catching up with their pals during the working day.
Unsurprisingly, the findings suggest that employees are 10% more likely to break workplace rules or act unprofessionally when WFH rather than in the office.
The survey data uncovered that of the 2,000 hybrid workers quizzed, in the last year:
- 27% have socialised with friends or family whilst on the clock
- 21% have participated in gardening or DIY
- 20% have worked on an application for a new role
- 17% have slept on the clock
- 16% have played on a games console
- 14% have started work extremely hungover
- 13% have done work for a second job
- 12% have had sex on the clock
- 9% have drank alcohol during the working day
Male workers are, on average, 10% more likely to be guilty of these confessions than their female colleagues.
Notably, more than one in 10 admit to having had sex on the clock when WFH in the past year, and it’s frisky millennials in the 25 to 34 age bracket that are the most likely to ‘get down to business’ whilst on the clock.
The data also found that Brits are more likely to:
- Use their work phone for personal use when in the office
- Work on an application for a new role when in the office
- Sleep on the clock when at home
- Drink alcohol during the working day when at home
- Overexaggerate work expenses when in the office
It was discovered that doing work for another job and starting work extremely hungover is equally as likely in the office and at home.
Commenting on the findings, Stuart Deavall from TonerGiant said: “Now that working from home is a staple part of work culture in the UK, many Brits have got comfortable with the hybrid working life.
“Naturally, your behaviour will differ from your home and your office, but we wanted to find out more about which workplace confessions are more common in which location.”
“According to the data, one in 10 hybrid workers have had sex on the clock when working from home. Almost 20% admit to sleeping during the working day at home, and 16% have played on a games console. One in five admit to working on an application for a new role whilst WFH, however, this is more common in the office.”
“Despite naturally having different behaviours when working from home instead of in the office, studies suggest that performance is not impacted.
“There are many clear benefits of the hybrid model for staff too, with other reports indicating that workers adhering to this model are happier employees.”
