NW Poll

Work from Home

January 10, 2021 by PEMCO Insurance

According to the 2020 PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, the number of NW residents working from home has increased six-fold since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but two out of three (68%) say they feel equally or more productive working from the office compared to home during the pandemic. How about you? Where do you get the most work done?

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, did your company have an official policy that allowed you, some or all employees to work from home, either full- or part-time?

Seattle Metro		Portland Metro
2020	2017	2020	2017
39	30	32	35	Yes, the policy allowed at least some employees to work at home full- or part-time
18	23	19	13	Yes, the policy allowed at least some employees to work at home part-time, but none could work at home full-time
36	43	42	48	No, employees were not allowed to work from home

Before the pandemic, how regularly, if at all, did you typically work from home?

Seattle Metro	Portland Metro	Those employed full-time
32	23	Net: worked from home
12	8	-- I used to work from home 1-3 days a week
8	7	-- I used to work from home 4-5 days a week
12	8	-- I used to work from home on an irregular schedule
10	9	I was able to work from home but choose not to
37	45	It was impossible for me to work from home given the type of job I do
16	19	People in my role were not allowed to work from home prior to the pandemic

How would you rate your productivity working from home before the pandemic?

Seattle Metro		Portland Metro
2020	2017	2020	2017
25	31	18	40	More productive when working from the office (than working from home)
48	43	57	42	Equally productive whether working at the office or at home
22	21	20	15	More productive when working from home (than when working from the office)

During the pandemic when there were stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, have you been working from home:

Seattle Metro	Portland Metro	Those employed full-time
23	36	Never
17	14	1 - 3 days a week
48	37	4 - 5 days a week
11	11	On an irregular schedule

During the pandemic when stay-at-home orders were in place, how would you compare your productivity at home to your productivity at the office?

Seattle Metro	Portland Metro	Those employed full-time and working at home
34	33	More productive working from the office
34	36	Equally product whether working from the office or working from home
17	20	More productive working from home
5	2	I’ve only worked from home

Compared to your at-home productivity before the pandemic, do you think there has been a change in how much you accomplish now in a typical week while you’re working at home?

Seattle Metro	Portland Metro	Those employed full-time and working at home
26	21	Compared to before the pandemic, I get more accomplished working at home now
47	51	I get just as much accomplished now
22	22	I get less accomplished now

In the future, when your community re-opens and there is a vaccine for COVID-19, would you prefer to:?

Seattle Metro	Portland Metro	Will continue to work
28	26	Work from home full-time
21	19	Mostly work form home, but go into the office when needed
6	6	Work from home and from the office about the same number of days
16	15	Mostly work from the office, but work from home when needed
18	18	Go into the office full-time

About the PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll

PEMCO Insurance commissioned this independent survey, conducted by FBK Research of Seattle, that asked Washington and Oregon residents questions about driving habits and attitudes toward current Northwest issues. The sample size, 578 respondents in Washington and 427 in Oregon, yields an accuracy of +/- 4.2 and 4.8% respectively at the 95% confidence level. In other words, if this study were conducted 100 times, in 95 instances the data will not vary by more than the associated error range.

Supplemental interviews were conducted with people living in the Seattle metro area, including King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, and those in the Portland metro area, including Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah and Washington counties. The sample size, 578 respondents in the Seattle area and 509 in the Portland area, yields an accuracy of +/- 4.2% and +/- 4.4% respectively at the 95% confidence level.

About PEMCO Insurance

PEMCO Insurance is the Defender of Your Northwest, providing auto, home, renters and boat coverage. We are consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee expertise and social impact. Our Mutual Good programs raise the achievement levels for youth in education; build stronger, greener environments; and increase safety at home, on the road and at play. Our mission: Free our communities to worry less and live more.

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