According to Una Dabiero* 67 per cent of men say working from home makes them more productive, but it’s a different story for women.
The move to remote work has no doubt been an adjustment for everyone. But according to a new study, working from home is working for men much better than it’s working for women.
In a study of more than 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Qualtrics and the Boardlist, 67 per cent of men said they have been more productive working remotely during the pandemic while only 41 per cent of women reported the same.
The same held true for parents. Women working remotely in a home with children were less likely to say they’ve been more productive than men under the same circumstances.
In fact, 41 per cent of men with children at home said they have fewer noises and distractions at home than they did at work.
Only 19 per cent of women with children at home said the same.
Perhaps most strikingly, men don’t just feel more productive — they are also more likely to believe their level of productivity will positively impact their careers.
Seventy-one per cent of men said working from home for an extended period of time would positively affect their career progression, while only 31 per cent of women agreed.
The study found race also impacted workers’ perceived productivity.
White workers were 62 per cent more likely than Black workers to say they’ve been more productive during the pandemic.
These discrepancies suggest creating equitable employee experiences for remote employees should be top priority.
However, many companies may not be investing in the right ways.
Women were less likely to say their company added diversity and leadership programs since the pandemic than men, and over 20 per cent of women say their company does not place enough emphasis on women in leadership.
Meanwhile, white respondents were 52 per cent more likely to think the impact of diversity programs on their company has been extremely positive, while only 42 per cent of Black respondents said the same.
“As employers work to create the best employee experience they can during a global pandemic, the different effects quarantine and COVID-19 have had on various demographics can guide them as they seek to make everyone’s experience equitable,” Ben Rogers, Global Head of Brand Content and Customer Marketing at Qualtrics, wrote.
Study respondents agree that including diverse perspectives in decision-making is a positive step, particularly when it comes to organisational performance.
Along the lines of gender, half of women (50 per cent) believe having women in leadership is correlated with improved financial performance at their company and 73 per cent of men say the same.
You can read more about this study by visiting Qualtrics research centre.
*Una Dabiero is an editorial Associate at Fairygodboss
This article first appeared at fairygodboss.com
