Experiences and attitudes toward working remotely from home in a time of pandemic: A snapshot from a New Zealand-based online survey

TL;DR

This study provides a quantitative analysis of remote work experiences and attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand, highlighting prevalent hybrid arrangements, preferences, and barriers faced by remote workers.

Contribution

It offers the first large-scale quantitative snapshot of remote work attitudes in New Zealand during the pandemic, focusing on preferences, cultural impacts, and barriers.

Findings

Hybrid work arrangements are common.

Half of participants want to work from home more.

Internet speed and space are key barriers.

Abstract

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, employees from around the world were compelled to work remotely from home and, in many cases, without much preparation. A substantial body of international research has been conducted on the experiences and attitudes of remote workers as well as the implications of this phenomenon for organisations. While New Zealand research evidence is growing, most existing inquiry is qualitative. This paper provides a quantitative snapshot of remote working using survey data from participants whose jobs can be done from home (n=415). Data collection took place when the country was facing Covid-related measures. Based on descriptive and inferential statistics, it was found that, not only was remote working common, but that hybrid working arrangements were also more prevalent. While half of the participants wanted to work from home more frequently, age, but not gender, was significantly associated with this preference. Another relevant finding is that perceived change in the workplace culture due to flexible work arrangements was significantly associated with preference for working remotely more often. Finally, the most common perceived barriers to working from home were slow internet speed, the need to attend face-to-face meetings, and limited space at home to work. The implications of the results are discussed and some directions for future research are proposed.