The rules, etiquette, and boundaries surrounding work and home (and what constitutes each) are in perpetual flux in the modern “workplace.” We’re all trying to find personal and professional balance in an era of constant change, while simultaneously working with and supporting employees who are trying to do the same.
SurveyMonkey recently revealed new research about the culture of the modern workplace and how employees are really spending their time, including insights into how age and gender inform these dynamics. The study also uncovered diverse perspectives about the role of HR in resolving workplace disputes and how employee loyalty is evolving.
For HR professionals looking to raise the bar on employee engagement, this feedback is essential to 2025 planning. Here are some highlights.
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Employees want to be in the mix.
In our study, 40% of remote workers claim company return-to-office mandates are about fostering employee engagement—and that’s a good thing. Data shows that employees are seeking more engagement, and they’re looking to their HR teams to help. According to another recent SurveyMonkey study, about one in four HR professionals believe their department should prioritize employee satisfaction and engagement (28%), compared with 44% of employees who say the same.
That’s a notable difference of opinion, and one to consider when crafting HR strategies for next year. The most successful employers will likely be the ones that help workers find the meaning they need to fully engage.
Multitasking is taking on new meaning.
While job satisfaction is high among most employees regardless of where they work, a larger number of remote workers (82%) feel positively about work than employees in other situations. Most remote workers remain committed to their arrangement, likely due to the flexibility it affords to prioritize activities. Our study found that during work hours while working remotely at home:
- 46% did household chores.
- 33% ran errands.
- 20% took a nap.
- 17% watched TV or played video games.
- 4% worked another job.
And while on a video or conference call:
- 29% used the bathroom.
- 21% browsed social media.
- 12% did laundry.
- 9% cleaned the kitchen.
- 4% fell asleep.
- 3% took a shower.
These stats shouldn’t deter HR teams–quite the contrary! They should encourage your own open-minded, unconventional thinking. If an organization’s current approach isn’t generating high employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity, ask questions to find out what will. Remember: feedback is a gift, and there are no wrong answers.
Gender shapes time-off habits.
The research also revealed that there is a difference in how men and women take time off work. Spoiler: women are more likely to use sick days for mental health days and men are more likely to take a few hours off without telling their managers.
And, interestingly, men (34%) are more likely to use the bathroom during a video or conference call than women (23%). TMI? Perhaps. However, understanding the varying distractions of male and female remote workers can offer valuable insights for HR teams looking to boost worker engagement.
And age matters, too.
Younger workers are showing a greater desire to take work-life balance into their own hands, and data shows that they are more likely to blur the line between sick time, vacation, and mental health days.
- Nearly one in five (18%) workers have used sick time for vacation, driven by Gen Z and Millennial workers (21% versus 17% for Gen X workers).
- 36% of Gen Z and Millennial workers have used sick time for mental health days, compared with 30% of Gen X workers.
- More than one-third (36%) of Gen Z and Millennial workers have taken a “quiet vacation” in the last 12 months versus 27% of Gen X workers.
- Nearly half (46%) of Gen Z and Millennial remote workers say they have taken a few hours off without telling anyone at work, versus 39% of Gen X workers and 41% of workers overall.
Taking unofficial time off during the workday beyond lunchtime also sees higher adoption among younger workers—an interesting data point for HR teams to remember when assessing how employee engagement may ebb and flow throughout the day.
This beach has great Wi-Fi!
Trends like “quiet vacationing” are also on the rise, a practice where employees work while on vacation without taking official time off or telling their employer. One in three (32%) hybrid or remote workers admit to taking a “quiet vacation” at least once within the last year.
Workers are also struggling to manage boundaries between work and personal life: 28% are ‘always or sometimes’ asked to do work on vacation; 54% check their work email while taking time off; and 32% say it is ‘very or somewhat difficult’ to disconnect from work while on vacation.
Is tenure still a thing?
The days of staying at the same job or company for the duration of one’s career are long gone, but research shows the gap between stopping and starting is still closing, especially for today’s youngest workers. A quarter of Gen Z (25%) and Millennial (27%) workers opt to change jobs and companies regularly to grow their careers, compared with only one in five Gen X (22%) or Boomer/Silent generation workers (19%) who subscribe to this short-timer sentiment.
When the pressure is on, transparency can help.
With job expectations higher than ever, 42% of employees are reporting a spike in stress compared with 5 years ago, and 49% have considered quiet quitting (doing the minimum amount of work required for their job without actually quitting). It follows that 53% of employees want their HR department to focus more on employee wellbeing and champion worker needs.
Findings also show that 45% of employees report more workplace conflicts related to political and social identity compared with 5 years ago, but only a small percentage of employees think HR is capable of solving workplace disputes. These vital disconnects between workers, employers, and HR teams suggest the need for greater transparency and trust among all parties. They also present an unexpected opportunity for HR teams to steer employees back to the type of meaningful engagement they desire to pour into their work.
Feedback can help forge stronger connections.
The number one thing 35% of hybrid or remote workers claim to miss most is connecting with coworkers in person. One in five (19%) miss improved communication with team members and 12% miss in-person meetings. However, most remote workers remain fully dedicated to their work arrangement: 69% say they are more productive working remotely, compared with 11% who are more productive working in the office and 19% who see no difference in productivity between home and the office.
This data is particularly useful for HR teams looking to build more connection points into the employee experience. It may take a little more creativity, but it’s possible to provide opportunities for the engagement remote employees say they miss most.
Useful data begets useful data.
When HR teams use feedback they’ve already collected to personalize the surveys they send, they naturally drive higher engagement and gather more accurate, actionable results. Having a foundation of key metrics on hand enables teams to gather ever more accurate insights into the employee experience. It also provides a baseline to evaluate and assess employee loyalty, satisfaction, and retention strategies over time.
Data insights are a bridge to understanding.
The goal in sharing these findings is not to pit remote and in-office workers against one another or to call out any specific groups for delinquency or disloyalty–far from it! Employee engagement challenges exist across all work arrangements, and in-office workers are not exempt from spending time around the proverbial water cooler. The point here is that data insights are a powerful tool to boost employee engagement, no matter where employees work. Used wisely, they can be a vital connection point for HR teams and employees to better identify with one another and engender the most important thing of all: trust.
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