WFH has its benefits, but it can also lead to some pretty sordid behaviour
Remote work became the norm over the past months amid the spread of COVID-19. And while it’s certainly allowed companies to remain profitable and keep people in jobs, it’s also led to some pretty bad habits for WFH employees. A report from Highspeedinternet.com found the worst offenders to be;
- Using work computer to check their social media or online shop (77%)
- Working or attending a meeting in their pyjamas (71%)
- Playing video games instead of working (54%)
- Working while using the toilet (50%)
- Drinking or taking drugs during work (30%)
On the first point, SailPoint Technologies previously warned that using corporate accounts for personal use could make the company's network more vulnerable for malicious scammers. It opens the corporate network to more threats, such as phishing attacks, according to the firm. According to Highspeedinternet's report, however, such behaviours could likely stem from not being seen or heard by managers and employees becoming bored without officemates. It could also be a result of more than half of employees feeling unproductive and struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Based on the survey, 77% of remote workers feel unproductive while working from home and 75% said they struggled to maintain a work-life balance. Another 61% said they have spent majority of a video call just staring at themselves. As a means of escape, 53% said they added a fake meeting to their calendar to give themselves a break from work, while 50% said they faked a bad internet connection to join a video call or have an excuse to keep their camera off.
But bad internet may not just be an excuse for some remote workers, as the survey found that 80% of them have been prevented by their internet connection from getting work done. Sixty-seven per cent of the respondents said they want their employers to cover their internet costs amid remote work, with 75% saying they would upgrade their internet plan if provided with a stipend.
