35% Of Kiwis Feel Less Productive When Working From Home

Following the government’s announcement that we will be moving to Level 4 and a lockdown for the next 4 weeks, Kiwis across New Zealand are adjusting to a new way of working.

Opinion Compare ran a nationally representative poll to understand more about how New Zealanders are feeling about the prospect of working from home. The sample of n=518 New Zealanders aged 18+ was run from March 17-19.

Of those already working from home, an extraordinary 35% of respondents felt that they were less productive.

CHART 1: Current / expected productivity when working from home (attached)

Question: Those who are working from home. n=126. ‘How productive are you / do you foresee you will be if / when working from home?’

Source: Opinion Compare - Coronavirus Recontact survey March 2020. n=126

- Nearly half of respondents are currently / foresee they will be as productive working from home as when they are at work.

- Over a quarter of respondents are / foresee themselves being less productive and this increases to 44% with 25-34-year olds.

CHART 2: If experiencing challenges when working from home (attached)

Question: Those who are working from home. n=126. ‘Are you currently experiencing / do you foresee any challenges if / when working from home?’

Source: Opinion Compare - Coronavirus Recontact survey March 2020. n=126

- Three quarters of respondents aren’t experiencing or foresee any issues / challenges when working from home.

- The 35-44 age group are more likely to be experiencing / anticipate challenges working from home (31%), most likely due to the fact they have younger children to look after whilst they work.

CHART 3: Decision to work from home or not (attached)

Question: n=518. ‘Just a couple of questions about working from home since the onset of the Coronavirus. Have you been asked to work from home recently, or in the past couple of weeks, by your employer?’

Source: Opinion Compare - Coronavirus Recontact survey March 2020. n=518

- Half of respondents are still going into work although 26% are considering / will start working from home in the next few days / weeks.

- More Aucklanders are working from home (28%) more likely due to the fact they are more likely to be in high risk office buildings and populated areas.

Relating to these statistics on working from home, other NZ Compare websites have seen a sudden increase in the number of users. One of the busiest sites has been Broadband Compare. The Broadband Compare website has seen a steady increase in site visitors as Kiwis use the site to ensure they are on the best broadband plan for their changing needs. Broadband Compare site traffic has increased 39% versus the average of the last 4 weeks.

When asked to explain the increase in users, Gavin Male, CEO NZ Compare said "The increase in users can likely be explained by the need for a quality home broadband connection. Individuals having to work from home may be used to a better quality and faster broadband connection at their work and find their home connection unsatisfactory. If schools close and the demand on your home broadband connection gets greater through streaming, multiple devices and video conferencing people are going to need an unlimited connection and the best speeds possible. Broadband Compare is a simple tool to help you make an informed choice on the best broadband plan for your needs. We also have our NZ based comparison consultants available on the phone if you have questions our site can’t answer."

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