Having a dedicated office space when working from home is more important than ever, according to Office Depot’s First Annual Home Office Survey. In the new survey of 2,000 people who work mostly or entirely remotely, over half (63%) now work primarily from a dedicated home office. Whereas prior to the pandemic, when respondents worked outside of the office, they reported working from a hotel (43%), a friend or family member’s home (36%), or a coffee shop (28%).
In terms of what prompted respondents’ decisions to set up home offices, most people did it to help make working easier or more efficient (63%) or because they needed a more comfortable or ergonomic workspace (52%), while 43% needed to remove distractions from their environment and another 37% needed more space to do their work. But not all respondents are comfortable with their current at-home workspace — most agree that it still needs improvement (68%).
And with more than three in four (77%) saying at least half of their time is spent in their home office compared to all the other rooms in their home, they are investing both time and money to make it as personalized and productive as possible. The average remote worker has spent about $1,700 of their own money on equipment or tools to work more comfortably from home, with 30% claiming they have “remodeled” their workspace at least three times since they first started working from home. Some respondents valued a dedicated home office space so much they even purchased a new house, as more than half (55%) of people who recently moved said they did so, at least in part, because they needed a better home office workspace.
“Working from home
has evolved from
makeshift workspaces using
countertops and barstools
to more thought-out
home office setups that rival
even the best
corporate office spaces.”
The evolution of remote work is evident. Thirty-five percent said that if they had to use the same home office setup they had when they first started working remotely, they would not even be able to do their job today. Respondents said the most underrated products for having a productive and enjoyable work environment are an adjustable chair (24%), a spacious desk with storage (22%), organizational tools like planners or desk organizers (10%) and a laptop stand/riser (9%).
“Working from home has evolved from makeshift workspaces using countertops and barstools to more thought-out home office setups that rival even the best corporate office spaces,” said Kevin Moffitt, executive vice president of The ODP Corporation and president of Office Depot. “We want to continue to help our customers make their workspaces work best for them. These survey results are a helpful way to learn more about their preferences and pain points, so we can continue to identify new solutions to help them be successful.”
