Brits Anonymously Reveal What They’re Getting up to While Working from Home During Lockdown.

Here at instantprint, our full office team is working from home! From zoom calls to yoga breaks, like the rest of the world, working from home is going to be something that has become the normal way of working. 

We were talking earlier (virtually of course) about how much we missed working together, going as far as to say we even missed some of each other’s annoying office habits (sometimes!). Then as we got into the swing of things, we realised that colleagues that weren’t annoying before have all of a sudden started bellowing “CaN yOU HeAr mE” at the start of every conference call or asking “what are you up to tonight?” as if we have somewhere to be. Really? 

Naturally, we wanted to find out how everyone else working from home has been getting on. Are you just discovering your husband of 7 years is a “ducks in a row” kind of guy? Is everyone working as hard as they should be? We have surveyed over 1000 anonymous Brits to uncover a clear picture of what is happening with staff whilst they’re working from home!

What are Brits Missing the Most While Working From Home?

Don’t worry, missing the office is totally normal and you’re not alone if you do! From on the job perks to seeing friends daily, there are lots of things that make going into work worthwhile. According to our survey the most missed element of going into work with 36% of the vote is, you guessed it, fellow colleagues! This was followed up by office small talk and oddly enough, getting ready in the morning? (Don’t worry, we aren’t judging you… honest!)

1 in 10 Brits (9.6%) claim not to miss anything about the office and honestly, we can’t relate. Check out the top 10 most missed things about the office here:

Interestingly, when it comes to the sexes, men are missing their co-workers the most with 36% saying they miss human interaction more than their female work friends (27%). There’s a notable difference when it comes to missing office gossip too with nearly double the amount of women (7.1%) missing workplace drama and office politics than their male counterparts (3.8%). 

What are The Things That Haven't Been Missed Working From Home? 

Annoying office habits from colleagues are something we know all too well about. Having said that, our survey has revealed there are parts of the work environment that people aren’t looking forward to when they return.

The Great British Public have hailed team meetings (6.4%) as the least missed thing about being in the office. This is closely followed by celebrating co-workers’ birthdays (you monsters!) and making teas and coffees for their colleagues.   

Here’s a list of the things that people are dreading upon their return to the office:

Can Colleagues Still be Annoying Working From Home? 

I’m sure you’ll agree, we can all forgive the odd generic small talk question, “Got up to much over the weekend? How are the kids?” blah blah blah. But, we’re not the only ones that have noticed a theme when it comes to lockdown lingo with 100% of our respondents having something to say on the matter.

Is “WFH” the new “OOO”? It would seem so with 29% of respondents stating that they are annoyed when seeing the newly coined acronym in their inbox. On the theme of emails, if you have started an email in the last 3 months with the opening line “in these worrying/uncertain/unprecedented times” you might want to hold off as this was voted the second most annoying phrase a person could use (yikes!). It would appear that referring to Covid-19 simply as “the Rona” is also unacceptable with this nickname ranking as the third most irritating phrase.

Here is a list of the top 10 most loathed overused phrases that have developed whilst people have been working from home: 

What are we all up to while the boss isn’t looking? 

With your line manager out of sight and not watching your every move, the temptation to do something... dare we say... unproductive, might be too great to resist. With lures like Netflix calling to you from across the room like a mythical siren serenading seaman to their deaths, surely you’d be forgiven for caving into temptation and watching an extra episode or two? 

Rest assured, your secret is safe with us! Actually, you’re not entirely on your own either with 37% of the nation guilty of watching Netflix instead of working as they should be. Don’t worry though, if it makes you feel less guilty, 27% of your colleagues are sleeping on the job. I mean, at least you’re conscious during work time when you’re watching Netflix right? 

Here’s a list of the top ten things people are getting away with but absolutely shouldn't be: 

This means that, on the whole, up to a third of Brits are working less than they admit they should be! The main culprits appear to be 18 to 24 year-olds as 43% of workers in this age category admit to watching TV in work time. 

The real shocker here? In general, 3% of respondents confessed that they’re getting away with doing absolutely NOTHING! The worst amongst respondents are people aged 65+ with 1 in 10 admitting they’re getting away with not working at all. So,  if you manage a team you might want to pick up the phone and double-check that everything is as it should be or at least ensure that work is being completed!

Rest assured that workers ages 25-34-year-olds have been revealed to be the hardest workers with a quarter ever reporting they’re working more hours since they started working from home! 

Where are The Most Productive Remote Workers? 

We all have days where we are more productive than others, but it would seem that a pattern has emerged when it comes to productivity by department. Unsurprisingly, HR & Recruitment has topped the list as volunteers are called upon to provide the nation with key services. This is closely followed by the IT department that has had to work tirelessly to enable workforces to work remotely. 

Looking at the hardest-working cities are you shocked that yours isn’t in the top 5? Bristolians have topped the bill claiming the converted top stop spot as the most productive city when working from home. Bristol… you rock! 

Where Does the Least Productive Remote Workforce Sit? 

Operational roles are the least productive remote workers with over half (52%) claiming to be doing less at work. A role that is focused solely on onsite issues is always going to be met with challenges when trying to work remotely so it’s fair to cut them a little leeway right? Admin and office workers are hot on the operational departments heals with 43% of them confessing to doing less work than they would in their usual environment.

The most unproductive City award goes to Sheffield. Formally known as one of the industrial powerhouses of England, Sheffield now plays home to the most unproductive remote workers in the entire of the United Kingdom let down by their self-confessed procrastination. Belfast is in 2nd place 

In conclusion, we wanted to commend everyone that is working from home. The times that we are living in are difficult and uncertain and although some people have confessed to doing a little less, you’re doing your best and that is all anyone could ask!