Remote Work Sees Global Progress with 56% of Companies Offering Remote Opportunities

BOSTON, Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As employees increasingly view hybrid and remote employment options as the new normal, so must management. For many, flexible and remote work offerings may mean the difference between a happy, loyal employee and a flight risk.

Today, Owl Labs, a video conferencing hardware company and creator of the smart conferencing camera Meeting Owl, released the 2018 Global State of Remote Work report. The report, which compiled data from 3,028 employees across six continents, analyzes how remote work impacts employment opportunities, job satisfaction, and access to work around the world.

The 2018 Global State of Remote Work report found that remote work has made significant progress across the globe with 56 percent of companies being either fully remote or hybrid, meaning they offer both remote and in-office options. Companies are experiencing the impact these flexible work policies have on employee satisfaction, as employees who work remotely at least once per month are 24 percent happier than those who never work remotely.

Additionally, the report found more than half of the respondents (52 percent) work remotely at least once a week, and as this number grows and evolves, so do the reasons for adopting this workstyle.

For example, while a healthy work-life balance was the top reason for working remote in Owl Labs' 2017 State of Remote Work report, the #1 reason in 2018 was increased productivity and focus. Other motivators closely followed. For example, respondents in North America are more likely to work remotely to avoid a commute, while those in Africa are more likely to work remote to save money.

Another key finding was that learning style may also affect employee preferences for working remote. For example, on average, those who identified most with the physical learning style (using experiences, simulations and physical objects) are 56 percent more likely to be fully remote workers. And while visual learners (using images, maps and diagrams) are 35 percent likelier to work remotely for increased productivity and focus, auditory (using group discussions, listening, music) and physical learners are 22 percent more likely to do so to minimize stress.

Overall, respondents in all fields believe that remote work provides more opportunities for quality employment, with finance and insurance professionals leading the pack at 40 percent. This data indicates that remote work opportunities are impacting the future of work, including providing more opportunities for global employment, as remote work is not evenly distributed across the world.

When it comes to a global breakdown of opportunities, Africa and Australia have the most fully remote and hybrid companies offering remote and in-office options, at 59 percent and 60 percent respectively. Asia and South America each have 9 percent more companies that do not allow remote work than the global average.

Other findings include:

• Thirty-two percent of respondents never or can't work remotely.
• Sixteen percent of companies across the globe are fully remote.
• Individual contributors are 20 percent more likely to work remote full-time than the average respondent.
• Men are only 2 percent more likely to feel happy and productive at work than women.

To review the full report and its detailed findings, please visit www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work. To learn more about Owl Labs, the creators of the report, visit www.owllabs.com.

About Owl Labs
Owl Labs is a video conferencing hardware company and creator of the Meeting Owl, a 360° smart video conferencing camera. With the growth of remote and distributed work, teams need better technology to meet and stay connected. Owl Labs' products will set a new standard for the remote meeting experience. Learn more about the company at www.owllabs.com.

SOURCE Owl Labs

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