Working-from-Home Perceptions

For many, where and how Americans work has changed dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As states begin to lift restrictions and reopen their economies, the future of the corporate workplace remains a topic of much discussion. Major tech companies like Alphabet, Facebook, and Salesforce have already announced giving their employees the option to work from home through the rest of the year, while Twitter is allowing those in a role that enables them to work remotely the option to do so indefinitely.

In anticipation of offices across the United States reopening in the near future, we asked our audience how their employers are handling the transition, as well as whether they would continue to work from home even after their office reopens. We also took a look at the most beneficial and detrimental aspects of working from home according to survey respondents across generations.

May 19, 2020

How is your company addressing plans to return to the office?

73% of those working from home have no idea how their company is addressing the return to the office, while 11% report that their employer has a clear plan for reopening.

Circle graph breaking out how respondents companies are addressing plans to return to the office

If given the option, do you plan to continue to work from home once restrictions are lifted?

If given the option, 59% of Americans currently working from home would continue to do so once restrictions are lifted and offices reopen.

59% of Americans would continue to work from home if given the option
41% of Americans would not continue to work from home if given the option

Men are more likely to continue working from home once restrictions are lifted.

Gen X and baby boomers are most likely to continue working remotely after their offices reopen. Compared to all other generations, Gen Z is most likely to return to the office even if given the option to continue working from home.

A bar graph showing if given the option, how many respondents plan to work from home by generation

What is the most beneficial aspect of working from home?

A bar graph for the beneficial aspect of working from home

Overall, Americans cite extra time with family (34%) and skipping the commute (29%) as the most beneficial aspects of working from home.

36

of women believe the most beneficial aspect of working from home is spending extra time with family. While men also value the extra family time (30%), those working from home report skipping the commute as the greatest benefit.

Bubble graph showing benefits of working from home females vs. males

Generational Trends

Compared to other generations, Gen Z is the most thankful for extra time with family, citing this as the greatest benefit of working from home. Appreciation for time spent with family decreases among older Americans, with a nearly 50% drop from Gen Z to baby boomers.

Baby boomers and Gen Xers are most appreciative of the flexibility that comes along with working from home. Only 10% of Gen Zers and 12% of millennials cite more flexibility as the greatest benefit – perhaps because this age group is already more accustomed to flexible work hours. Added productivity and less office politics rank lowest among benefits across all generations.

A bar graph breaking down the most beneficial aspect of working from home by generation

What is the most detrimental aspect of working from home?

According to those surveyed, the most detrimental aspects of working from home include more distractions (29%), less social interaction (25%), and difficulty managing work-life balance (18%).

A circle chart breaking down the most detrimental aspect of working from home

Generational Trends

While Gen Z and millennials cite more distractions as the most detrimental aspect of working from home, Gen X and baby boomers are more likely to miss social interaction in the workplace. Less productivity and difficulty communicating with team members rank lowest among concerns across all generations.  

A bar graph comparing the worst part of working from home by generation

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FAQs

How is this data collected?

‘Fluent Pulse’ reflects a daily online survey collected across Fluent’s portfolio of owned & operated websites.

Who is the audience?

Fluent attracts a massive audience across its network of owned media properties. While all segments of the US population are represented, the below are our most prevalent demographic skews:

Demographic Attribute Over Penetrated Among
Age Median: 38

61% between the age of 18 & 44
Gender 50/50 Male/Female
Education High School Degree or Some College
Homeownership 61% Renters
Households with Children 42% of Audience

How many people were surveyed?

On average, 150,000 – 175,000 consumers respond daily.

How often do you engage with this audience?

Daily

Is the data weighted?

No, but representative of the overall Fluent Audience.

How do you protect consumers data privacy?

All responses related to this survey are anonymized; only survey responses will be disclosed. At no point will consumer’s personal information will ever be disclosed.

What was your methodology?

Data has been collected from U.S. adults on a daily or weekly basis, dependent upon topic, since March 10, 2020. All data is sourced from Fluent’s portfolio of owned and operated media properties. Results are specific to the Fluent audience and not reflective of the general U.S. population.

The data presented on this site does not reflect the official opinion, policy or position of Fluent, Inc. This research is only meant to inform and illustrate, as an example, the rich data assets Fluent can derive insights from to drive in-market strategies.