According to Lenovo, employees feel more connected and more productive than ever before as they work from home. The study, entitled “Technology and the Evolving World of Work,” shows there are still financial, physical and emotional downsides to working from home.
While the survey respondents are embracing working remotely, they feel more connected to their devices than ever, as the “office” is now wherever their technology is. Of those surveyed, 85% feel more reliant on their work PCs than they did when working from the office. When it comes to productivity, however, 63% said they are more productive working from home than when they were at the office.
According to Lenovo, 40% of those surveyed partially or fully funded their tech upgrades too. U.S. respondents claimed to have spent an average of $348 to upgrade or improve their technology while working from home due to the coronavirus. This figure is roughly $70 higher than the global average of $273.
Working from home has caused aches and pains for many, however. Of those surveyed, 71% complained of new or worsening conditions, including headaches, back and neck pains and difficulty sleeping.
Along with physical ailments, respondents also cited reduced personal connections with their coworkers, difficulty separating work life from home life and trouble concentrating during work hours due to distractions within the home.
According to Dilip Bhatia, VP of global user and customer experience at Lenovo, “This data gave us valuable insights on the complex relationship employees have with technology as work and personal are becoming more intertwined with the increase in working from home.”
Bhatia added, “We’re using these takeaways to improve the development of our smart technology and better empower remote workers of tomorrow.”
Lenovo’s research study surveyed a total of 20,262 employed adults in 10 markets – the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, China, India and Japan. Respondents were surveyed between May 8 and 14.
