Finding your work-life balance as a remote employee

Employees place importance on work-life balance

What do employees—remote or not—want from their employers? Of course, everything from development opportunities to adequate compensation carries weight. But, you might be surprised by how much work-life balance matters to employees. These work life balance stats illustrate just how important work-life balance is to today’s workers and how it impacts their mental health.

• 38% of people say their organization never or rarely makes it possible for employees to have a healthy balance between work and life.¹ 
• One third of workers say work-life balance is the most important of all benefits.²
• ^‍66% of full-time employees in the U.S. do not strongly believe they have work-life balance.³ 
• 51% of people say they have missed important life events because of inadequate work-life balance.⁴
• ^‍68% of employees say poor work-life balance negatively impacts their morale and motivation at work.⁵
  

• Employees who work more than 55 hours per week are at a higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.⁶
• ^‍Employees who work more than 55 hours per week are 1.66 times higher risk of depression, and a 1.74 times higher risk for anxiety.⁷

• 33% of employed adults in the U.S. work and average Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.⁸ 
• 28 million Americans don’t get any paid vacation or paid holidays, which is a real detriment to their ability to maintain adequate work-life balance.⁹ 
• 31% of employees are willing to take a pay cut of up to 5% in order to be able to work from home at least some of the time.¹⁰
• ^‍53% of employees say a role that allows them to have a greater work-life balance and better personal well-being is “very important” to them.¹¹

Work life balance stats about the upsides of remote work

Remote work gives employees more flexibility, which can mean great things in terms of work-life balance. When working remotely, many employees find it easier to build their work around their life, and not the other way around. Here are some statistics about the work-life balance perks related to working remotely.

• 32% of people say that the ability to have a flexible schedule is the biggest benefit of working remotely.¹⁶

• 67% of people said their work-life balance improved when they started working remotely.¹⁷
• ^‍30% of people say they start and finish work earlier when working remotely during quarantine.¹⁸ 
• 75% of people who work remotely do so because they say they have fewer distractions.¹⁹ 
• Work-life balance is the top reported reason that people seek flexible work, with 76% of respondents citing that factor.²⁰ 
• ^‍86% of people feel that working remotely reduces their stress levels.²¹ 
• ^‍86% of people say that flexible or telecommuting jobs help them save money.2² 
• ^‍97% of people say a job with flexibility has a huge improvement or positive impact on their overall quality of life.²³

• Remote workers say they’re happy in their jobs 29% more than on-site workers.²⁴ 
• Working remotely saves an average of 40 minutes daily on commutes.²⁵

Work life balance stats about the downsides of remote work

While that increased flexibility makes up for a lot, it doesn’t mean that adequate work-life balance is a given for people who work remotely. That’s because working from home presents some unique challenges—like losing separation between your professional responsibilities and personal life, as well as struggling to unplug. Here are some statistics about the work-life balance challenges that remote workers face.

• 51% of employees are experiencing burnout symptoms while working from home.²⁶‍
• ‍40% of remote workers say unplugging after hours is the biggest challenge of working remotely.^27‍
• ^‍67% of people working remotely feel pressure to be available at all hours of the day.^28‍
• ^‍29% of remote workers say they struggle to have work-life balance, compared to 23% of in-office employees.²⁹ 
• On average, remote employees work 1.4 more days every month than those who work in an office.^30‍
• ^‍Remote workers spend an additional three hours on their computers, when compared with in-office employees.³¹
  

Statistics about remote work and taking time off

We all need some time to unplug and decompress from our work responsibilities, but that’s not always so easy when you’re a remote worker. Short breaks might be easier and more accessible, but true, unplugged vacation time isn’t quite as easy to come by.

• 36% of remote workers in the UK said they were taking more breaks when working remotely than they did when they worked in the office.^32‍
• ^‍52% of people who are working from home aren’t planning to take any time off to decompress.³³ 
  

• Despite the fact that many remote employers offer unlimited vacation, a large chunk (43%) of remote workers took between two and three weeks of vacation time in 2019.³⁴
• ^‍20% of remote workers took somewhere between no vacation and only one week in 2019.³⁵ 
  

How can understanding your work preferences contribute to a healthy work-life balance?

We all have preferences when it comes to how we spend our personal time. Some people enjoy leisure activities in a social setting on the weekends. Others prefer quality time alone or in nature. Others might enjoy taking a long-distance bike ride for their physical health.

The way we spend our time at work is no different. We all have unique skills, talents, and personalities that influence our work preferences. And depending on your preferences and your job role, you're likely to gain energy from some tasks and feel drained by others.

At F4S we've spent more than 20 years studying individuals, teams, and the world’s top performers to understand workplace performance, fulfillment, and wellbeing. Our evidence-based assessment tool helps you understand where you rank in relation to 48 motivational traits.

To get started, take the free F4S assessment and gain instant access to your results. This includes personal insights, motivations, and free AI coaching programs.

Let's pretend you discover that you are low on boundaries, prefer working in groups, and learn best through hearing.

How does that affect you on a daily basis?

You might be more likely to spring up from the dinner table if you hear your work phone ping. This can have negative impacts and lead to burnout. As a remote employee, you work from home in a solo environment. This can feel isolating and lead to boredom or lack of interest in your work. You might crave remote employee engagement activities to fulfill part of your social life. Connecting with others tends to fuel your energy and productivity. And since you're are a visual or auditory learner, communicating via Slack messages all day isn't going to cut it. You're more likely to be engaged with Zoom meetings.