Telecommuters Are More Productive, Despite Distractions [Study]

Telecommuters are more productive than their office-bound colleagues, despite distractions like chores, naps, movies, and video games, according to a study done by Citrix, a company that designs technology for employees working remotely.

If you want to know what your coworkers are doing when they “work from home,” it’s safe to bet that they’re sitting in front of their computers sipping a cup of coffee in their pajamas working diligently–at least that’s what you’d normally picture. According to Business Week, 43 percent of the 1,013 American office workers surveyed are also watching TV or a movie, and 20 percent are even playing video games.

The study, performed in June by Wakefield research, shows that parents are more likely than those with no children to participate in these two activities. Your coworkers may also be making dinner (28 percent), taking a nap (26 percent), or even drinking on the job (24 percent).

Despite all of the at home distractions, The American Prospect reports that preliminary findings from a study done by Stanford University on a Chinese travel agency shows that people who work at home tend to be more productive than those at the office. They note that, while the agency studied is probably more productive whether they are at the office or at home, it is a good indicator that perhaps telecommuting jobs hold less stress than working at an office.

They also provide good benefits too, such as costing less (gas to and from the office) and allowing you to spend more time at work or making breakfast, or seeing family, instead of commuting to and from work.

Do you think telecommuters are more productive than people who work at an office?

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