Key findings
- Three in four (76%) workers use their personal device for work-related tasks, and four in ten (39%) workers with work devices conduct personal activities on them
- Younger workers embrace “quiet vacationing” in redefining work-life balance
- HR confessions: half of hybrid or remote workers admit to multitasking during a work call (46%) or doing house chores (46%) during work
- Young workers blur the line between sick time, vacation, and mental health days
- Redefining loyalty: Gen Z and Millennial workers prefer to switch jobs more frequently than older workers
- Remote workers remain skeptical about return-to-office plans, but admit to missing out on socializing with coworkers.
Workplace trends: device usage
Three in four (76%) workers use their personal device for work-related tasks, and four in ten (39%) workers with work devices conduct personal activities on them
Half (53%) of workers use personal devices for work on at least a daily basis; personal usage of work devices also proliferates as seven in ten (69%) workers are assigned a laptop or computer, mobile phone, or other device by their workplace. Among those assigned a work device, more than four in ten (39%) also use it for personal or non-work activities.
Workers also struggle with managing boundaries between work and personal life:
- 28% say they are ‘always or sometimes’ asked to do work while taking time off on vacation
- 54% check their work email when taking time off
- 32% say it is ‘very or somewhat difficult’ to disconnect from work while on vacation
Redefining work-life balance among the younger generation
Younger workers embrace “quiet vacationing” in redefining work-life balance
One in three (32%) hybrid or remote workers admit to taking a “quiet vacation” at least once within the last year, or completing work while going on vacation without officially taking time off and telling their employer or manager. This trend is driven by younger workers who show greater desire to take work-life balance into their own hands.
- More than one in three (36%) of Gen Z and Millennial workers have taken a “quiet vacation” in the last 12 months, compared with 27% of Gen X workers.
Taking unofficial time off during the workday beyond lunch time also sees higher adoption among younger workers: almost half (46%) of Gen Z and Millennial remote workers admit to taking a few hours off without telling anyone at work, compared with 39% of Gen X workers and 41% of workers overall.
Remote workplace trends and employee behavior
HR confessions: half of hybrid or remote workers admit to multitasking during a work call (46%) or doing house chores (46%) during work
Newfound flexibility within remote work has given workers opportunities to pursue non-work activities during the workday.
- 46% multitasked while on a work call
- 46% completed household chores
- 33% ran errands outside the home
- 20% took a nap
- 17% worked from a different location without telling anyone
- 17% watched TV/played video games
- 4% worked another job
Workers have also taken opportunities to multitask during video or conference calls:
- 29% used the bathroom
- 21% browsed social media
- 14% did online shopping
- 12% did laundry
- 9% cleaned the kitchen
- 4% fell asleep
- 3% took a shower
Half of job seekers (49%) say they have been ghosted by a potential employer during a job application process, while only one in eight (12%) admit to ever ghosting a candidate.
Young workers blur the line between sick time, vacation, and mental health days
Nearly one in five (18%) workers have ever used sick time for vacation, driven once again by Gen Z and Millennial workers (21% vs. 17% for Gen X workers). Mental health days, aimed at self-care and recharging away from work and other responsibilities, also see greater adoption via sick time among younger workers: 36% of Gen Z and Millennial workers have ever used sick time for mental health days, compared with 30% of Gen X workers.
Redefining loyalty: Gen Z and Millennials workers prefer to switch jobs more frequently than older workers
Four in ten (41%) Gen Z workers say that the ideal tenure at a company is 4 years or less, higher than Millennial workers (34%), and nearly double the percentage of Gen X workers (22%) who share the same sentiment.
Younger workers are also less likely to believe that it is better to grow their careers by switching jobs every few years rather than staying at the same company:
- One in four Gen Z (25%) and Millennial (27%) workers prefer switching jobs regularly to grow their career, rather than staying at the same company (73% and 71%, respectively).
- One in five Gen X (22%) or Boomer/Silent generation workers (19%) subscribe to the same philosophy, preferring to remain at the same company (76% and 80%, respectively).
Socializing with coworkers top hybrid and remote workers’ most-missed feature of in-person work
One in three hybrid or remote workers (35%) say that they most miss connecting with coworkers, when it comes to working in person. One in five (19%) also admit to missing out on improved communication with team members, followed by in-person meetings (12%).
Despite missing out on the lack of connection, most remote workers remain committed to their work arrangement: 69% say they are more productive working remotely from home, compared to 11% who admit to being more productive in person or 19% who see no difference in productivity between in-person or remote environments.
Sentiment around return-to-office plans
Half of remote (48%) workers claim company return-to-office mandates are about micromanaging employees, on par with companies wanting to maximize their office leases (46%) and enhancing team collaboration and creativity (47%). Fewer cite their company’s desire to improve worker productivity (39%), or fostering employee engagement or company culture (40%).
In-person workers offer greater support for RTO plans: the majority (62%) believe improving worker productivity drives the return-to-office initiatives, along with half (52%) who cite improving team collaboration and creativity.
