More business owners noticed a productivity increase from staff working at home, rather than a productivity decrease.
The January Sensis Business Index shows that 18% of owners saw reduced productivity, whereas 29% saw an increase.
A total of 53% noted no difference.
“The fact that nearly one in three businesses saw an actual increase in productivity will make it hard for employers to force their employees back into the office full time,” says CEO of Sensis, John Allan.
Specifically speaking, the Finance and Insurance sector saw the biggest uplift with 52% of owners saying productivity increased.
The Health and Community Services sector also experience productivity gains, with 36% citing an increase.
The sector that took the biggest hit however was Transport, which saw a 30% reduction in productivity followed by Construction at 29% and Wholesale at 25%.
Sectors that were unaffected the most include Communications, Property and Business Services at 65% followed by Hospitality at 62%.
Business owner perspective
The survey also analysed owners’ attitudes towards workers going back into the office, with a split between working from home and working from the office the most popular, at 48%.
“For those wanting to work just from home it will be difficult,” says Mr Allan.
“Just 13% of owners were agreeable to this option. 40% were also keen to have their employees return to the office full-time. That was a figure much higher than we had anticipated as in December that figure was just 19%.”
When it comes to states, Tasmanian owners proved to prefer workers being back in the office at 57%.
The state least demanding their staff come back to the office full time was Queensland at 35%. Nearly one in five (18%) of South Australian business owners were comfortable with their workforce working from home full time.