Home vs office: Canadian employees reveal where they're really most productive

Data released today uncovers some eye-opening productivity trends

BY Dexter Tilo 07 Jul. 2022

With over two years in remote work under our belts, a new report has found emerging patterns and trends among employees when it comes to their productivity – suggesting that staff are actually more productive when working from home. The latest Robert Half report surveyed employees in Canada, uncovering the following trends in productivity that were shaped by their shift to remote work.

Productivity peaks early in the week. The study revealed that employees accomplish most of their tasks on Monday and Tuesday, whether at home or in the office.
Professionals have defined power hours. Most workers hit their stride in the late morning (9 a.m. to noon) and early afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.), according to the study, with very few working during lunch or evening hours. It added that they are productive wherever they are, or where they sit.
Meetings are getting in the way. For the respondents, the top activities slowing down their productivity are unnecessary calls and meetings (34%). This is followed by conversations with colleagues (25%).
Home is where it happens. Nearly half of workers (42%) said they accomplish more at home, higher than those who say (23%) they are equally productive wherever they work. According to the report, those who commute to the office perform best in a private space (42%) versus a collaborative one (14%)
Concerns about flexible work are waning. More than half of employees (67%) feel that their boss cares more about their contributions than the "when" and "where" of their work.

Roles on flexible work

With more employers warming up to flexible work arrangements, David King, senior managing director at Robert Half Canada, stressed that workers and their managers play a part in realising the benefits of this arrangement.

"For many professionals, there is a positive correlation between flexible work and increased productivity, and employers and employees both play a role in realising the benefits," said King in a statement.

However, what are these "roles" that employers and employees need to fulfill?

According to King, workers should be able to "deliver quality work, meet deadlines, and keep lines of communication open with their manager and colleagues to ensure business goals are met."

"When implementing a flexible schedule, managers need to set clear expectations; cultivate a culture that promotes trust and discourages micromanagement; and establish performance metrics based on results," he also said.