The perks of working remotely – do it in your birthday suit 

A global survey involving more than 8000 employees from small-to-medium businesses has revealed some interesting remote working habits – some of which will be hard to kick if workers are made to return to office spaces in the new year. 

The survey, commissioned by global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, found some workers from South Africa admitted to enjoying working in the nude, outside (perhaps not simultaneously), taking sneaky cat naps on shift, and being able to sleep in just a little longer. 

All workers who suddenly had to adapt to doing their jobs remotely, while balancing daily tasks such as child rearing with their own mental and physical health. This is no small feat.

READ MORE: Looking forward: The world of work in 2021

But perhaps working remotely has proven to be more productive and enjoyable than previously assumed. 

Baggy pants and binge-watching

66% of respondents who have enjoyed swapping out pencil skirts for baggy pants and oversized t-shirts say they would like to make their new work personas the norm in future. 

Employees no longer needed to wake up earlier to make the long commute to work. And 42% of them took full advantage, admitting to snoozing during the day. 

In South Africa, 15% of respondents openly admitted to swapping their work attire for, well, no attire at all. Globally, this is at 11%.

42% enjoyed being able to sleep in, 33% somehow managed to binge-watch Netflix while working, and 32% preferred working in their gardens or balconies than in makeshift studies.

Respondents said working remotely also meant more time for video games, takeaway lunches, and 10% took the opportunity of not seeing people everyday by showing less. 

For 37% of respondents, there is no going back. They have tasted the comfort of working from home, and now insist on a more flexible work schedule, to balance working from home and visiting the office. 

READ MORE: Why living wages should be a priority during Covid-19

Nearly half of the respondents said the most signifiant benefit of working from home was being able to spend more time with loved ones. 41% found working from home saved them money. 

But as with all good things, there is an unintended downside. 

Cyber security even more of a threat

Workers’ newfound freedom and comfortable work pace could also be putting them at risk of cyber security threats, said Kaspersky head of consumer product marketing, Marina Titova. 

“This lockdown turned out to be a two-way street for people whose job allows them to work from home. 

“On the one hand, employees finally got a chance to forget about the downsides of big-city life and start working in a more comfortable atmosphere. On the other hand, they faced many challenges when struggling to remain productive, reorganising their workspace and developing new habits. 

“When you work from home your privacy is put at greater risk, making it vital that you remember to take care of your digital security.”

ALSO READ: Remote work has built trust among colleagues. Here’s how

Many tips directly involve co-workers who like to work naked, with Kaspersky strongly recommending applying a welcome cover, or using webcam protection on Kaspersky’s security cloud. 

Kaspersky also recommends securing workers’ wi-fi connections, as most routers have a default username and password, which they said can easily be found online. If you work from home regularly, it is recommended that you set up a new password, and update your router’s firmware. 

Compiled by Nica Richards

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