What are remote and hybrid employees really doing throughout the day?

They often boast about their efficiency, stating they have fewer distractions without chatty coworkers or lengthy commutes.

However, a recent survey sheds light on the actual activities of remote workers. Spoiler: it’s not all about creating reports and slideshows.

While office workers may pass the time chatting with friends or scrolling through TikTok, remote employees benefit from being out of sight from managers, using that time to tackle personal tasks or simply relax.

According to a SurveyMonkey study of 3,117 full-time workers in the US, nearly 50% of remote workers multitask during work calls or take care of household chores like unloading the dishwasher or doing laundry.

About one-third utilize the flexibility of remote work to run errands, such as grocery shopping or picking up dry cleaning.

Napping on the job is more common than you might assume, with 20% of remote workers admitting to taking a nap during work hours.

Seventeen percent of remote employees acknowledged working from different locations without notifying anyone, while some enjoyed watching TV or gaming. A small fraction – 4% – admitted to juggling another job.

Multitasking during video calls is a frequent habit.

Nearly 30% of remote and hybrid workers confessed to using the bathroom during calls, while 21% browsed social media, 14% went online shopping, 12% tackled laundry, and 9% cleaned the kitchen.

In a surprising revelation, 4% admitted to dozing off, and 3% claimed they showered during calls.

“Employees are creating their own protocols to manage the pressures of demanding work settings,” noted Wendy Smith, senior manager of research science at SurveyMonkey. “What might seem like ‘secret behavior’ is actually prevalent.”

And it’s not just entry-level employees. A majority of managers and 49% of executives also multitask during work calls, according to Smith.

When it comes to browsing social media while on work video calls, responses from managers, executives, and staff were quite similar (22%, 20%, and 21% respectively), she said.

However, managers and executives tended to shop online more often than individual workers (16% and 14% compared to 12% of individual contributors), as Smith noted.

Different generations showcase distinct work habits:

• 26% of millennials admit to napping during work hours versus 16% of GenX;
• 18% of GenZ have had another job on the side compared to just 2% of GenX and 1% of boomers;
• and 31% of GenZ have worked from a different location without informing anyone, compared to 16% of GenX.