Meetings in pyjamas: why more Kiwis are working from home

49% of New Zealanders work from home as well as their workplace, and over a half of these people would like to do it more often, according to a recent study by InternetNZ.

With the roll out of fibre broadband across New Zealand, and internet providers providing unlimited data as standard, technology is no longer seen as such a barrier to working from home, and neither is business calling. Many Kiwi companies are switching to VoIP phone technology, enabling their employees to make and receive work calls via a soft phone on their home computer, so when their desk phone rings, they can answer the call remotely from their laptop or mobile.

But the question remains, does being able to work in your PJ’s make you more productive?

Recent studies, such as this Stanford University study and this Jabra survey both show an increase in productivity from home workers. Both independent studies quoted ‘distraction’ as the heart of the problem for office workers. Futurologist Dr Nicole Millard deduced that office workers were disrupted every three minutes: “We’re interrupted every three minutes. It takes us between eight and 20 minutes to get back into that thought process.”

As well as battling with open plan office distractions, the strict timeframes implored by office environments don’t suit everybody’s natural productivity levels, with many people preferring to work early in the morning or late at night. Everyone has their own productivity time frame, but typically we’re most productive and creative first thing in the morning, when many of us are commuting to work or stuck in traffic.

From a business owners perspective, encouraging home working could also help employers attract younger talent to their workforce, with 68% of millennial job seekers saying that having the option to work remotely would ‘greatly increase their interest in specific employers’ according to research by aftercollege. A millennial branding report also found that 45% of millennials would choose flexibility over pay.

If you’re a business owner who would benefit from flexible technology solutions, including VoIP phone solutions, visit voyager.nz/business or if you’re an employee who needs unlimited home broadband to support your working from home goals, sign up for our no fixed term contract unlimited home broadband plans here: voyager.nz/home