New survey finds WFH is different but not necessarily less productive | Michael McGuire

Deep down they know they are lazy bastards, so assume the rest of us must be as well, writes Michael McGuire.

In the world of psychology, the term ‘projection’ is used when a person attributes a negative quality to someone else that is actually a failing of their own.

Maybe think about Donald Trump accusing other people of corruption.

It’s hard not to jump to the same conclusion about some of the more vociferous critics of people working from home.

They splutter and moan about people bludging in their pyjamas or organising home renovations or spending all day surfing the web and watching YouTube while the boss isn’t looking.

Let’s face it. They are talking about themselves. Exposing their own work ethic. Deep down they know they are lazy bastards, so assume the rest of us must be as well.

As I write this my view is of a green back garden and a bunch of chooks wandering around. It’s undeniably pleasant, even if I’m not in my PJs. In an ordinary week, I will be at this desk twice a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It’s a flexibility I appreciate.

The rest of the week, I will head into the office. I also value that time. A time to catch up with colleagues, swap stories and share ideas. But is it more productive?

There is a report in the Wall Street Journal this week that says office-bound workers might not necessarily be more productive. That’s because workers in the office face just as many distractions as those who work at home.

The difference being that those at home can pick and choose the timing of their breaks and diversions. When you are on your own, there are no random interactions with people who want to shoot the breeze about the footy or their weekend escapades.

“You can completely shirk at the office,” Nick Bloom, an economist at Stanford University and one of the authors of the research told the WSJ.

Employees in the office, he says, are more likely to kill time scrolling the internet or playing a game on their phones, according to the survey of more than 4,500 people.

Bloom said those working from home made more “rational’’ choices about how to spend the working day and spread out “peak load’’ and would often catch up on work at night or back in the office.

Advertiser journalist and columnist Michael McGuire. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The WSJ also referred to a survey by a company called ActivTrak that said on-site workers were 12 minutes more productive a day. Office workers would have shorter breaks than those at home but more of them.

From my own experience, WFH is more productive, especially when there is a deadline looming. Like many offices, The Advertiser is an open plan space. There is a constant hubbub of noise and distraction. People wandering by, random requests for opinion or help with a story. All of which is part of the attraction of office life.

As is the venture into the city. It is important to keep the CBD ticking along as well. A dead city centre would be a disaster for the whole state.

But if there is an empty screen in front of me that needs a few thousand words in a hurry, or if there is a long interview that needs to be transcribed or conducted, it really is much easier and quicker at home. At those times, it’s best to pick something from the record collection and whack it on the turntable beside me. The quicker I need to write, the louder the music needs to be. I can recommend Amyl and the Sniffers if you are flagging around 4pm and need that last burst to see out the day.

It feels more productive to me. And that even includes the odd break to put on the washing or the dishwasher, make lunch or feed the chooks.

It’s also here to stay. Recent industrial agreements in the private and public sector has reinforced this. According to research conducted by the aforementioned Bloom, Australians worked 1.3 days at home in April and May this year. Bloom was part of conducting a 42,000 person survey across 34 countries that found on average people worked from home 0.9 days a week. Australia lagged Canada at 1.7 days, the UK at 1.5 and the US at 1.4.

South Korea was the lowest at 0.4, Japan was 0.5, China 0.8 and Singapore 0.9.

The question is not so much if Australians should work from home, the question is how do we ensure the benefits of this radical shift in work patterns to build a healthier and happier workforce.

Originally published as New survey finds WFH is different but not necessarily less productive | Michael McGuire