New research from Owl Labs looks at the current state of work in the U.S., revealing how many workers are remote, how many are back in the office and how much they’re spending when they go. The video conferencing company talked to 2-thousand full-time workers and found that 66% of them are back in the office full-time now and they’re paying for it.
The study reveals:
- With about two-thirds of workers back in the office five days a week, 26% are hybrid this year and only 7% are fully remote. That’s a big increase from the 41% who were in the office full-time in 2022.
- Those who are going back to the office daily spend an average of $51 a day, including $16 on lunch, $14 on commuting, $13 on breakfast and $8 on coffee.
- Employees with pets also spend another $20 a day on pet care, on average.
- That means full-time office workers are spending roughly $1,020 on going to their workplace.
- When asked what perks would get hybrid workers to return to in-person more often, the number one response was if their commuting costs were covered.
- A third (33%) of workers spend between 31 and 45 minutes commuting one-way.
- More than half (58%) of hybrid employees “coffee badge” - which is showing your face in the office, then leaving.
- One in four workers (25%) would be willing to give up 15% of their salary for flexible working hours.
- Nearly half (46%) of employees are “polyworking” with a side hustle or extra job and another 36% plan to start one in the future.
- Work-related stress has increased since last year for 56% of workers.
Source: Owl Labs
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