New Research found Work from home workers to be less productive

[Agbe]

That should be depends the kind of work you do from home. There are some works that people do in the office that are not productive like the one you do from home and that is why I said all base on the nature of the work. freelance work like writing from home is a very productive work which will give you more time to think and write what you want. There are sometimes what can be done in the office can also be done at home, and also there are sometimes office workers took their works in the office to home and finish it at home so the saying that office workers are more productive than home workers (self employed) is just an imaginative thinking and that is not correct. That study should be revisited to correct some allusions. Working from home is also productive because they are always supervised  by their managers to know if they are doing well. Just like the forum advertisement.

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[Unbunplease]

That should be depends the kind of work you do from home. There are some works that people do in the office that are not productive like the one you do from home and that is why I said all base on the nature of the work. freelance work like writing from home is a very productive work which will give you more time to think and write what you want. There are sometimes what can be done in the office can also be done at home, and also there are sometimes office workers took their works in the office to home and finish it at home so the saying that office workers are more productive than home workers (self employed) is just an imaginative thinking and that is not correct. That study should be revisited to correct some allusions. Working from home is also productive because they are always supervised  by their managers to know if they are doing well. Just like the forum advertisement.

It is difficult for office workers to adjust to working successfully at home. They are used to working under control, and if you give them free rein, they will work less efficiently. Working from home is relaxing. A freelancer realizes that if he or she doesn't work well from home, he or she will get nothing. An office worker has a salary at his main place of work.

[bussybuddy]

No I think this is the opposite, the corporate environment can create many distractions and interruptions, from commuting to time spent on social media. When you come to work, you may feel more tired and easily get lost in leisure activities instead of work.

But when working remotely, you can focus more on your work because there are no distractions from your surroundings. This is really a boon to help you be more productive and use your time better. No need to move also saves you time and better focus on your tasks.

[uchegod-21]

No I think this is the opposite, the corporate environment can create many distractions and interruptions, from commuting to time spent on social media. When you come to work, you may feel more tired and easily get lost in leisure activities instead of work.

But when working remotely, you can focus more on your work because there are no distractions from your surroundings. This is really a boon to help you be more productive and use your time better. No need to move also saves you time and better focus on your tasks.

This you said can totally be the reverse. Yes, I mean it. It can also be that at work you will be close monitored and there will not be spare time unless for the necessary breaks. Unlike working from home that if you are not disciplined, you will have to take water and food break every 10 mins.
If you say about work distractions, I understand that some of your colleagues may ne unnecessarily playful during duty time. But home isn't a safe haven because your spouse or kids might unduly need your attention and that will be a very big distraction.
Whether at work or at home,  what is actually needed is discipline and implementation of the correct work ethics.

[WatChe]

It is difficult for office workers to adjust to working successfully at home. They are used to working under control, and if you give them free rein, they will work less efficiently. Working from home is relaxing. A freelancer realizes that if he or she doesn't work well from home, he or she will get nothing. An office worker has a salary at his main place of work.

I have a job and I think that work related to your job can best be done at office. So workers are defiantly less productive if they work from home as apart from work there is lot of coordination that need to be done. A freelancer on the other hand is boss of his own and knows how to execute the work effectively while not leaving comfort of his home. Even freelancer at home need to give dedicated time to his work to remain successful.

[Gyfts]

A study published by the American private nonprofit research organization the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the productivity of workers randomly assigned to work from home was 18% lower than that of those in the office.
https://africa.businessinsider.com/careers/new-research-finds-that-fully-remote-workers-are-less-productive-than-their-in-office/4vxn4sy

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office. Can we say the same about freelance workers?  Do you think that if workers are given the chance to "own" a task like freelancers they'll be more productive because it is just like being self-employed where you treat it as your business and not with the mindset of another man's business?

This was the clear conclusion from the start. There were studies that were trying to obfuscate such an obvious inference by suggesting that remote work led to more productivity. Of course, that was the narrative that was favorable at the time which is why that work got published. Any publication that would be willing to put their institution on research which concluded differently would be ostracized. Freelance work is different. You are incentivized to be productive with your time. Someone working within an organization on a flat payrate doesn't have any incentive to be more productive.

[bayu7adi]

It's pretty normal, you know? Everyone feels different vibes when they're grinding at the office compared to hustling from home. When you're working from your crib, you're like laser-focused on the tasks, but you end up burning a good 8 hours a day on personal stuff. Imagine this: remote workers might just clock in like 5 or 6 solid hours, and the rest of the time is like fam hangout or other things on the agenda.

Now, flip the script for those office bees doing the 9-to-5 hustle. No matter how you slice it, those 8 hours, they're like in company mode – always keeping an eye out for the bigwigs. And get this, even when they're back home, a smidge of work sneaks in for tomorrow, even if it's just like half an hour.

The whole vibe and work ethic? Oh, that's totally in the grip of the environment. The more people buzzing around, the more you're lit to dive in too.

[Uruhara]

No I think this is the opposite, the corporate environment can create many distractions and interruptions, from commuting to time spent on social media. When you come to work, you may feel more tired and easily get lost in leisure activities instead of work.

But when working remotely, you can focus more on your work because there are no distractions from your surroundings. This is really a boon to help you be more productive and use your time better. No need to move also saves you time and better focus on your tasks.

Well everything will depend on what type of work is being done. If it's a real job it's more convenient to do it from home. So of course productivity at home is even better. Well, because sometimes at home it's not as busy as at work (company office). so that we can organize ourselves and even manage our own schedule comfortably. But the type of work being done is not the kind of work we like. Then we will tend to procrastinate when we do it at home. This is what might affect work productivity when done at home without supervision from superiors. But if we do a job we love. So wherever we do it, be it at home or at the office, the productivity will still be the same.

[freedomgo]

Well, as long as there are complete resources at home that you can use for your job productivity, then there’s no reason that working from home becomes inefficient and ineffective. In fact, a lot of self-employed individuals who have been working solely at home still find their results impressive and outstanding, so much more to those who were supported by their own company.

The only reason why a job becomes less effective if the worker itself has less motivation to do it. Maybe because the company lacks of bonuses and incentives, the reason why their workers do not have the strong urge to finish their jobs productively.

[Rengga Jati]

Honestly, working from home by self is what I'm doing right now. It is undeniable, when we are married and have children, working at home is less effective when viewed from our professionalism at work. because sometimes we can only focus on work when the homework is done and the children are sleeping. Even though we have our own workspace, sometimes I will find it hard to focus when the child is crying or asking for help to do some things. moreover they are still children who incidentally want to play with their parents. They still can't understand if their parents have to work even though they are at home, they still think that when their parents are at home, it means they will continue to play with them. And this is not wrong.

Because that is, working at home has its own challenges. it is also undeniable that working at home can be more flexible, very flexible. It can even be really fun. That's why with various conditions related to our homes, we usually really understand the situation. So that we ourselves have to be good at managing time and opportunities to focus on work. So that all our work will be done well and our work as parents also goes in balance. Time management is very important here.

[lousie9]

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office.
[/quote
I think for now working in an office or working from home is not the most important problem. The most important thing is that the individual can meet their daily needs and earn income.
And I think it's efficient when the work we do can really provide us with income and can improve our finances from time to time.
Then productive is relatively dependent on how the individual manages his thoughts and daily life. Someone who works in an office or at home may be unproductive or monotonous if they only work or carry out their work activities according to what they do every day.

[Davian144]

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office. Can we say the same about freelance workers?  Do you think that if workers are given the chance to "own" a task like freelancers they'll be more productive because it is just like being self-employed where you treat it as your business and not with the mindset of another man's business?

I don't think it will be the same for those who work on a freelance basis, because those who work on a freelance basis are people who don't follow orders from other people more but continue to do their own thing while working. And in general, freelancers can also be very productive because they have more free time that is not restricted by any rules, so it will be easier for them to manage their own time according to their wishes.

Meanwhile, workers at home, actually they also have more time for them to organize themselves into their work so there is also an opportunity to be productive as long as the work can always produce greater results. Now, for office workers who must always follow instructions from their superiors, it is clear that they will not be productive enough because part of their time must be used to work in the office. And the rest is for his family and himself, so it's clear that the opportunities to be more productive are very few.

[summonerrk]

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office. Can we say the same about freelance workers?  Do you think that if workers are given the chance to "own" a task like freelancers they'll be more productive because it is just like being self-employed where you treat it as your business and not with the mindset of another man's business?

I don't think it will be the same for those who work on a freelance basis, because those who work on a freelance basis are people who don't follow orders from other people more but continue to do their own thing while working. And in general, freelancers can also be very productive because they have more free time that is not restricted by any rules, so it will be easier for them to manage their own time according to their wishes.

Meanwhile, workers at home, actually they also have more time for them to organize themselves into their work so there is also an opportunity to be productive as long as the work can always produce greater results. Now, for office workers who must always follow instructions from their superiors, it is clear that they will not be productive enough because part of their time must be used to work in the office. And the rest is for his family and himself, so it's clear that the opportunities to be more productive are very few.

I think that psychologically it is impossible to mix work space and leisure space, a home environment where you feel safe. At my job, the boss is very encouraging to me and his presence next to me affects my productivity. But even more influenced by the fact that there is my paradise, it is boring, and there is nothing distracting from work. There are also colleagues there who work as well as I do, and this inspires me to become a better specialist. And at home: TV, cat, PlayStation... these things can only cause a desire to play and do nothing.

[Oasisman]

A study published by the American private nonprofit research organization the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the productivity of workers randomly assigned to work from home was 18% lower than that of those in the office.
https://africa.businessinsider.com/careers/new-research-finds-that-fully-remote-workers-are-less-productive-than-their-in-office/4vxn4sy

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office. Can we say the same about freelance workers?  Do you think that if workers are given the chance to "own" a task like freelancers they'll be more productive because it is just like being self-employed where you treat it as your business and not with the mindset of another man's business?

Well, that's not going to be the case if a company set a daily task to be accomplished daily, otherwise it is already expected that the workers that work from home will be leas productive than being in the office due to being home in their own comfort zone and there is nobody you can have to have a short talk.
As for the freelancers, I don't think the company will be at loss if a freelancer is less productive than those people in the office, because the company already made a cut on the paycheck for the same set of task.
Me, I'm being paid $5/hr as an individual contractor in a work from home set up with my American client doing the same task as the in-house staff that earns x5 or x6 of my hourly rate.
So, even if I'm 18% less productive do you think the company would care much about it? They could just hire another person for the same rate as me and instantly the company will gain 82% more productive :⁠-⁠)

[Davian144]

I think that psychologically it is impossible to mix work space and leisure space, a home environment where you feel safe. At my job, the boss is very encouraging to me and his presence next to me affects my productivity. But even more influenced by the fact that there is my paradise, it is boring, and there is nothing distracting from work. There are also colleagues there who work as well as I do, and this inspires me to become a better specialist. And at home: TV, cat, PlayStation... these things can only cause a desire to play and do nothing.

This goes back to each individual person, because not everyone can also have the desire to continue playing at home if there is work that can be done to generate income. Likewise when in the office, because not all bosses can have time to continue to encourage their subordinates or employees every day. So apart from the influence of the environment, I think the influence of ourselves must also be seen, although I also agree with what you said, where the integration of the work space with the recreation room is more than impossible.

[AicecreaME]

It depends on the salary though.

I mean, I wouldn't give my 100% best in my work if I'm being underpaid with a lot of workload to do every single day. But if I'm being paid correctly based of my talent, for sure I'm always going to be productive whether I'm working in the office or at home. The other thing is that, introvert people are more productive when working at home rather than working in the office.

In short, it will depend on a certain person if he'll slack off in his work wherever it is.

[SamReomo]

A study published by the American private nonprofit research organization the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the productivity of workers randomly assigned to work from home was 18% lower than that of those in the office.
https://africa.businessinsider.com/careers/new-research-finds-that-fully-remote-workers-are-less-productive-than-their-in-office/4vxn4sy

These researchers found that if you work from home you will be less efficient and productive than people who from their office. Can we say the same about freelance workers?  Do you think that if workers are given the chance to "own" a task like freelancers they'll be more productive because it is just like being self-employed where you treat it as your business and not with the mindset of another man's business?

I don't trust that research because I have seen with my own eyes that the ones who work in offices have procrastinated a lot during their working hours and I have also seen the freelancers that have done their best to complete the work within few hours without any delays. I believe that if someone is determined then that user will put a lot of effort to complete his/her work whether he/she is working in a office or working from home as a freelancer.

I know that in some cases the workers who work from home may not be able to work efficiently if their home environment doesn't allow them to be productive, but in most cases the ones who work from home give a lot of time and effort the complete the work in the most efficient way possible. The workers on office are also of same nature, if the working environment of the office is good then the workers will love to focus on the work in the most efficient way, but if the working environment of an office is not good then the workers may not be able to give their best to the work.
 

[xSkylarx]

I think that psychologically it is impossible to mix work space and leisure space, a home environment where you feel safe. At my job, the boss is very encouraging to me and his presence next to me affects my productivity. But even more influenced by the fact that there is my paradise, it is boring, and there is nothing distracting from work. There are also colleagues there who work as well as I do, and this inspires me to become a better specialist. And at home: TV, cat, PlayStation... these things can only cause a desire to play and do nothing.

This goes back to each individual person, because not everyone can also have the desire to continue playing at home if there is work that can be done to generate income. Likewise when in the office, because not all bosses can have time to continue to encourage their subordinates or employees every day. So apart from the influence of the environment, I think the influence of ourselves must also be seen, although I also agree with what you said, where the integration of the work space with the recreation room is more than impossible.

If this is your first time in a work from home setup, for sure you'll get distracted. I mean you've gotten used to office setups, like the daily routine to go in to the office, but in a work from home setup you won't, and at first you'll get easily distracted. That is why, right now, people like us who have already worked remotely would have their own space just to limit the noise and also not get distracted. Also, playing a game is just what you think because you can't play if you have work, and I can guarantee that. I can play more on an office setup than on a work from home setup because you'll be in a lot of meetings on a daily basis for sure about updates and tasks, and if you play, you won't have an output on that day.

[Crypt0Gore]

I guess some companies are lacking workers because people are now working more at home? Can't help it but think this way.

Those who work in a office for a company have a target, their salaries is the first thing that's most important to them, and to make that comes easily they have to do their jobs right.

Now those who work at home also have the same dreams and goals, to make money and nothing else, what makes you think they are less productive? If they are, how are they going to make money?

It's always about the money, if you are making money it's means you are productive and you are doing it right.

[rat03gopoh]

No I think this is the opposite, the corporate environment can create many distractions and interruptions, from commuting to time spent on social media. When you come to work, you may feel more tired and easily get lost in leisure activities instead of work.

You're ridiculous, how is it possible that in a work environment with clear and formal rules you're allowed to do things outside of duty? Unless you're a typical worker who likes to break rules that are not implemented too strictly.

But when working remotely, you can focus more on your work because there are no distractions from your surroundings. This is really a boon to help you be more productive and use your time better. No need to move also saves you time and better focus on your tasks.

The OP brought examples of people's office environments in general and the atmosphere of a home with a busy household. Your opinion applies without special arrangement to someone who lives alone.