Do remote workers “work less”? The Gallup Institute  a checks what happens to productivity

Remote work and productivity is one of the most frequently recurring issues among leaders and managers. 

In public debate, reducing remote working hours is often automatically interpreted as a decline in engagement or efficiency.

However, data published by the Gallup Institute shows that a decrease in the number of remote working hours does not automatically mean a decrease in productivity. 

The report “Remote Staff Hours Fall, but Productivity Steady (For Now)“, prepared by the Gallup Institute, analyses how remote working time is changing and what actually happens to team performance when the number of hours worked decreases.

This is a good time to go beyond simplistic interpretations and look deeper into the data. 

In the rest of this article, I will analyse what actually happens to team productivity when the number of remote working hours decreases and what this means for leadership decisions.

Decline in remote working hours – what exactly does Gallup’s data show?

The Gallup report shows that, compared to the pre-pandemic period, remote and hybrid employees are actually spending fewer hours at work. At the same time, there is no proportional decline in performance. 

Changes in working hours in the remote model compared to pre-pandemic years

Gallup points out that in a study based on the American Time Use Survey, remote workers worked on average about 1 hour less per day in 2022 than in 2019, and some groups – such as single men over 45 – reported working more than 2 hours less per day compared to the pre-pandemic period.

However, this is not solely due to the elimination of commuting. Above all, the way work is organised has changed, especially in roles based on knowledge, projects and independence. 

In such cases, the reduction in working hours did not automatically translate into a decrease in productivity.

Differences in working time reduction between employee groups

Gallup points out that the reduction in working hours does not affect everyone to the same extent. The differences are clear depending on the nature of the role:

• It affects knowledge workers and specialists more strongly,
• less so for operational and task-based roles,
• depending on the level of autonomy and responsibility.

This shows that remote work productivity should be analysed in the context of the type of work, rather than the organisational model itself.

Gallup confirms a decline in declared remote working hours, but these data should be read in the context of the type of work and the degree of autonomy. The number of hours alone is not a sufficient indicator of effectiveness.

Why shorter working hours did not reduce productivity

The key conclusion of the report is clear. Remote work productivity did not decline in proportion to the number of hours worked. The Gallup Institute points to several mechanisms that explain this.

Better alignment of roles and tasks with employee competencies

One of the key mechanisms described in the report is a better match between roles and competencies. 

Remote work has reduced many low-value-added activities and increased focus on tasks that actually impact results. As a result, shorter working hours meant a different allocation of energy, not a decrease in energy.

Talent selection and broader access to the labour market in the remote model

The remote model has changed the way teams are built. 

Organisations have gained access to a wider talent market, allowing them to better match competencies to tasks. The Gallup report shows that it is this match, rather than the number of hours worked, that has a direct impact on maintaining effectiveness.

Shifting the focus from working hours to results

Many organisations have changed the way they evaluate work. Instead of focusing on presence and availability, greater importance has been placed on:

• Achievement of goals,
• quality of work results,
• and responsibility for results.

Where this shift has been consistent, productivity has remained stable despite reduced working hours.

The role of the manager and organisational culture in remote working

Gallup emphasises that managing a remote team has a greater impact on results than the mode of work itself. Remote work does not compensate for poor leadership.

In the context of remote work, it is particularly clear that what the team really expects from the leader is crucial, rather than the work organisation model itself.

The quality of management as a stronger factor than the mode of work

The Gallup report clearly shows that the mode of work itself does not determine results.

Well-managed teams remain productive regardless of whether they work remotely, hybrid or on-site. Problems arise where there is a lack of clear priorities and consistent direction from the manager.

Trust and clarity of expectations in dispersed teams

Remote work productivity declines when:

• Goals are unclear,
• responsibility is blurred,
• communication is based on control rather than trust.

Gallup indicates that clarity of expectations and autonomy are more strongly correlated with results than the number of hours worked.

Remote working reinforces what already exists in an organisation. Where management and culture are consistent, productivity is maintained; where they are weak, problems become more apparent.

Remote working as a symptom of organisational problems, not a solution

The report also points out that a strong preference for remote work is sometimes a reaction to organisational culture problems. 

In such situations, remote working serves a protective function, limiting contact with a difficult environment, but it does not remove the cause of the tensions.

The risk of masking cultural and leadership problems

In the long term, remote working can mask problems rather than solve them. Productivity may be maintained temporarily, but without working on the fundamentals of the organisation, problems return in the form of decreased engagement and turnover.

Remote work does not solve leadership or culture problems. It can only temporarily mask them, postponing the effects.

Summary

The question of whether remote work reduces productivity is misguided. A decrease in the number of hours worked remotely does not automatically lead to a decline in performance if the organisation is able to manage goals, roles and relationships.

The productivity of remote work depends primarily on the quality of management, clarity of expectations and organisational culture. It is not the mode of work that determines performance, but the way in which the organisation utilises the potential of its people.

What affects the productivity of remote work in your organisation?

If you want to see how the quality of management and the clarity of goals and expectations translate into remote work productivity, please contact me. 

I support managers and leaders in organising the way they manage teams and make decisions based on real mechanisms of action, rather than simplified assumptions.

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