WFH side effects: Some people still working from beds, closets, couches in pandemic

New Delhi: As millions of people worked remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, an interesting study has pointed out how some of them made a habit of using unorthodox spots at home for work: bedrooms, closets, couches and front yards/ backyards spaces.

While one in three (32 per cent) said they work from a proper office, nearly as many (31 per cent) said their bedroom is their office, 45 per cent work from a couch regularly, 38 per cent work from a bed, 20 per cent work outdoors and 19 per cent even work from a closet regularly.

Seventy-one per cent of the people surveyed said they are "improvising" with respect to their workspace, according to the latest small-yet-significant study by US-based home services provider Craft Jack.

Seventy-four per cent of people surveyed said they've experienced pain and discomfort while working from home, 81 per cent experience it at least weekly and 51 per cent experience it most days or every day.

Most pain is felt in the back (56 per cent), neck (54 per cent), and shoulders (43 per cent), but nearly one in three people (31 per cent) experience hand and wrist pain as well.

Sixty-four per cent made an effort to curate their background in some way, most commonly by people working in HR, recruiting, and accounting.

Those working remotely in legal, insurance, nonprofits and social services made the least effort in this area.

Two in three people (69 per cent) have had either a partner, child, or pet unexpectedly show up on-screen during a video call, with pets being the most common culprits (43 per cent), followed by children (37 per cent) and partners (34 per cent), the report said.

"Certainly, many people have limitations in terms of space, but much can be done with little, and you don't necessarily need to break the bank to look professional in the Zoom Age," the report said.

By now, at bare minimum, remote workers should have a dedicated, functional space that supports their bodies, appropriate accessories to look and sound professional on video calls, and something other than a blank wall in their background, it added.

While 91 per cent of people have done something to improve their workspace over the past year, 90 per cent have spent money as part of that process.

"More than half of those we surveyed have invested in a new chair, and one in four have gotten a webcam. Also of note, 58 per cent of respondents said their employer has chipped in either with money or supplies to support the development of their home workspace," the report noted.

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