Nearly half of remote workers in Canada pretending to work from home: survey

When should workers let their managers know if their work location changes?

BY Jim Wilson 29 Jul. 2024

Working from home became a widespread reality when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but recent research suggests those doing so are not necessarily working from their home – and many are faking it.

Overall, nearly half of Canadians who have worked remotely from either a cottage or another city have used a background filter to disguise they’re not at home, reports Rogers.

Also, two-thirds of Canadians who have worked remotely in a different location other than their home don’t always tell their colleagues they’re not at home, according to the report.

And 25% of managers have suspected an employee of disguising their location when working remotely in the last year.

Worldwide, Canadians have the greatest freedom to work from home, according to a previous report.

Sixty-three percent of Canadians are planning to take vacation this summer, according to a previous report. However, another report found that many workers are not fully disconnecting and are still checking their work email and messages even during their vacation.

When should workers let their managers know if their work location has changed?

The Rogers survey – of nearly 1,300 Canadians in July – is part of a campaign for its 5G network featuring John Krasinski in a virtual meeting with his agent while on a boat.

If an employee can meet the requirements of their job, it shouldn’t matter where that work is performed, said Julie Jensen, owner of Moxie HR Strategies, in an article from Lifehacker.