Study: Nearly Everyone Wants to Work Remotely

Remote work continues to be perceived as very positive, according to the 2023 “State of Remote Work” survey report delivered by Buffer, Remote OK, and Nomad List.

Ninety-eight percent of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers, this is up slightly from 97 percent in 2022. Another 98 percent would recommend remote work to others, which is also an increase from 97 percent in 2022. Overall, 91 percent of respondents report having a positive experience with remote work. Just one percent said their remote work experience was negative and the remaining 8 percent were neutral.

Flexibility remains the top benefit of remote work. According to respondents, 22 percent say the biggest benefit to remote work is flexibility in how they spend their time, for 19 percent it’s flexibility in where they choose to live, and for 13 percent it’s the flexibility to choose their work location.

A little over one-third (37 percent) said they work in a dedicated office space, while 21 percent said they work from their bedroom. Twenty percent of participants said they work from their living room, while 14 percent said they move from room to room while working. A small percentage of individuals (2 percent) included other answers, while another 2 percent of survey responders said they do not work from home at all.

Three-fourths of respondents report feeling connected to their colleagues or clients, often due to consistent interaction and collaboration. Only 17 percent selected that they do not feel connected.

One in three remote workers reports their biggest struggle is that they stay home too often because they don’t have a reason to leave. The next most selected struggle for remote workers was loneliness, with 23 percent of remote workers selecting it. These two struggles go hand in hand and paint a picture of how the reality of remote work can be very challenging. In addition, 22 percent report not being able to unplug is their biggest challenge with remote work.

More than half of workers (64 percent) are fully remote. This is up significantly from 2022 when the number was at 49 percent. Every other category describing a hybrid set-up is less than last year.

Companies are most likely to pay for hardware, office equipment, and office supplies, and less likely to pay for home internet or coworking memberships, though home internet in particular is one that remote workers wish employers would pay for.

It is uncertain whether the shift to remote work that started in 2020 will be permanent. More than 70 percent of companies are permanently allowing some type of remote work. Only 8 percent of respondents said their companies are not allowing any form of remote work.

The 2023 State of Remote Work report highlights the experiences of 3,000 remote workers from around the world. Our respondents include those who work remotely all the time or some of the time as well as employees, independent consultants, and business owners. This data was collected between October 10th, 2022, and November 28th, 2022.

Channel Impact^®
The study provides a wealth of information for channel partners advising customers on their remote strategies.