The bedroom is the workplace of choice for half of gen Z’s hybrid workforce
Hybrid working habits are here to stay, but new research shows younger workers are struggling to separate their at-home office environments from their personal space.
Hybrid working habits are here to stay, but new research shows younger workers are struggling to separate their at-home office environments from their personal space.
A new survey of more than 1,500 Australians and New Zealanders, commissioned by computer peripheral giant Logitech, has found that 51% of gen Z employees are choosing to work from their bedroom for at least one day a week.
The gen Z cohort is generally considered to include those born between 1996 and 2010, covering much of Australia’s young workforce.
Some 42% shift locations within their home throughout a WFH day, or conduct work outside.
The findings suggest a dedicated at-home office space is out of reach for many young workers, who may attend company meetings, handle important calls, and undertake other critical work from a sharehouse bedroom.
This can lead to a disconnect between what a company offers in terms of at-home support, and what workers actually need, Logitech claims.
Nearly 90% of respondents said they felt ill-equipped with the resources they need to stay productive in a hybrid working environment, the study said.
Logitech, one of the world’s largest producers of keyboards, mice, and webcams, has a vested interest in supplying extra peripherals outside of the traditional office environment.
Yet the data does speak to the lingering difficulties inherent to hybrid work, and continuing efforts to maximise workplace efficiency when labour is spread between the home and office.
At its core, the data suggests business leaders with remote teams go the extra step to ensure their workers, especially their younger staff, have the tools they need to succeed.
The survey arrives after a litany of other investigations which praise the potential of hybrid work if executed correctly.
It can be beneficial to work-life balance if workers are given the ability to ‘log off’ and make use of the time they would otherwise spend commuting.
Elsewhere, notable companies like Atlassian are making a purer business case for WFH allowances.
It has staked its success on the idea that remote workers can be just as productive as employees siphoned into centralised locations, and attributed much of its recent success to this ‘Team Anywhere’ approach.
