clean-office-clear-mind

KEY FINDINGS

73% of remote or hybrid workers admit to cleaning their home during work hours, spending an average of 2.5 hours per week cleaning their homes on the clock.

83% agree that the cleanliness of their workspace impacts their motivation, productivity, and work-related stress levels. Meanwhile, 79% say it also impacts their sense of work-life balance.

70% of respondents say that they've judged a co-worker based on their home environment and/or distractions.

Over 1 in 3 remote workers admit they've been embarrassed by the cleanliness of their office workspace while on a video call and 28% admit to placing judgement on colleagues for their messy workspaces.

Of the 40% of respondents who work from home with a spouse or a significant other, 52% argue over home cleanliness during the day.

Though on the plus side, 42% say that seeing their significant other keeping a clean workspace is actually a turn-on

HOME LIFE SEEPS INTO OUR REMOTE WORKSPACES, ADDING TO STRESS AND REDUCING PRODUCTIVITY

83 %

83% say the cleanliness of their workspace impacts their work-related stress, motivation and productivity.

Experts on working from home have regularly stressed the importance of creating a productive work from home space that allows for separation between one's work life and home life, yet for many, it's easier said than done. Unfortunately, household items commonly make their way into remote workspaces, which can be a hindrance to everything from one's productivity to their motivation for work. The most common clutter remote workers are leaving in their workspaces are bills/mail (72%), packages (66%), backpacks/bags (61%), laundry (56%), toys (47%), leftover food (51%), and dirty dishes (45%). Yet, despite how often these items end up cluttering home workspaces, there's a significant impact on our ability to perform at our best and maintain positive mental health. Top emotional and professional factors impacted by workspace cleanliness:

Peace of mind88%

Motivation83%

Work-related stress83%

Productivity83%

Quality of work performance80%

Home-related stress80%

Sense of work-life balance79%

Job satisfaction77%

Confidence at work77%

Creativity74%

MANY USING WORK HOURS TO TAKE CARE OF LIFE AT HOME

78 %

78% of respondents admit cleaning their homes during work hours

With laundry, toys, bills and more crowding remote workers' space, work-related tasks are regularly being put on hold while people clean, organize and do laundry during work hours. In fact 78% of respondents admit cleaning their homes during work hours, spending an average of two and a half hours per week cleaning their homes during work hours. To put that into perspective, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the average hourly wage at $30.85, as of September 2021. That means employers are paying workers $77 in weekly salary and $4,010 in yearly salary to clean their homes.

For those who are cleaning during work hours, the top tasks include:

68%

Laundry

64%

Washing dishes

64%

Talking out the trash

60%

Organizing

51%

Sweeping the floors

49%

Vacuuming

COUPLES WORKING FROM HOME TOGETHER ADDS BOTH COMPLEXITY AND BENEFIT

61 %

61% of couples who work from home together report regularly getting into arguments about their respective workspaces

40% of respondents work from home alongside a spouse or significant other, which leads to both upsides and downsides when it comes to their relationship and professional life. 61% of couples who work from home together report regularly getting into arguments about their respective workspaces. Sadly, 1 in 5 say their spouse or significant other's remote work habits have impacted their relationship so much that they've considered a breakup or divorce. The most common sources of argument between couples working from home together include:

52%

Home cleanliness during the day

48%

Distracting from one another's work

43%

Workspace location

43%

Opposite work schedules

41%

Infringing on one another's personal workspace

36%

Noise

33%

Not paying enough attention to each other

That said, it's not all downsides for couples working at home together. 70% of couples say it has strengthened their relationship, even resulting in sex during work for some (35%). The top turn-ons resulting from a spouse or significant other's work from home habits include:

Cooking lunch for us44%

Keeping a clean workspace42%

A strong work ethic40%

Making the bed before work39%

Working in pajamas39%

GENDER AND INCOME INEQUALITIES EXTEND TO COUPLES REMOTE WORKSPACE

“

Men are more likely than women to have a more desirable workspace at home.

”

Men typically have the more desirable workspace in the home, 46% of men reporting that they have a more ideal workspace than their spouse as compared to just 35% of women who feel as though their space is most desirable in the home. Men were more likely to have set “rules” in place for other household members as it relates to how they interact with their workspace (76%) as compared to women who were less likely to enforce such restrictions (64%). This may be the reason that women were more likely to report having a cluttered or unclean workspace (22%) as compared to men (15%), who generally described their workspace as organized or tidy.

When considering how income comes into play, 77% of people with annual income above $100,000 were more likely to have rules about their workspace. 49% had the more desirable workspace than their spouse or significant other.

70 %

70% of respondents say that they've judged a co-worker based on their home environment and/or distraction

HOME CLEANLINESS AND BACKGROUND ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS PERCEPTIONS AMONGST COLLEAGUES

While the new reality of working from home brings about entirely new challenges when it comes to professional demeanor, there are some areas in particular that lead to judgment among other remote workers. 70% of respondents say that they've judged a co-worker based on their home environment and/or distractions. The top sources of judgement include:

31%

Noisy pets

29%

Interrupting children

28%

Messy workspace

26%

People in the background

26%

Looking professional

24%

Looking disheveled

34% of remote workers admit they've been embarrassed by the cleanliness of their office workspace while on a video call, 28% reporting that they've mistakenly left embarrassing personal items on video while working from their home workspace.

"I accidentally left my underwear on the back of my chair."

"When my son had an accident on camera in middle of work meeting and it was poop."

"This one time I was on a call, my boyfriend randomly (came) up to the screen in his boxer(s)."

"I accidentally left my underwear on the back of my chair."

"When my son had an accident on camera in middle of work meeting and it was poop."

"This one time I was on a call, my boyfriend randomly (came) up to the screen in his boxer(s)."

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

Working from home adds a new layer of complexity to work-life balance and it's important that today's workforce take a step back to evaluate how they can manage to keep a clean, organized space while not taking away from either their home life or their professional responsibilities. Experts have stressed just how important it is for today's workforce to evaluate their workspaces at home to ensure they minimize potential distractions and enable a productive atmosphere for work responsibilities.

Our survey results indicate that there still exist many issues as it relates to separating work from home life, which requires a refreshed mindset from employees who are now faced with the reality of a long-term remote work transition. By maintaining a space that's clear of distractions of one's household, remote workers can stay productive and reduce stress related to their lives outside of work.

METHODOLOGY: Roborock commissioned this survey in collaboration with online polling service, Pollfish, to 2,400 U.S. adults who are employed and work at least one day per week from home.

Clean Office

Clear Mind

Roborock uncovers the lengths remote workers would go to keep their workspace clean, and the impact a clean workspace can have on their professional and private life.