Survey: Teleworkers do other things during working hours

A new survey shows that many teleworkers do housework while at work.

SurveyMonkey surveyed over three thousand full-time workers in the United States last month and found that nearly half of those working from home are doing laundry and catching up on other things on their to-do lists.

Multitasking during Zoom calls is another popular pastime.

Nearly a third of remote and hybrid workers reported using the restroom while on a phone call, 21% said they surfed the internet and scrolled through social media, 14% went on an online shopping spree, 12% did laundry and 9% cleaned the kitchen.

About a third said they run errands while working remotely, and about 17% said they watch TV or play video games.

The result may come as a shock to some: 4% admit to falling asleep (taking naps) and 3% take a shower.

“Employees create their own rules to meet the demands of a high-pressure work environment,” said Wendy Smith, senior manager of research science at SurveyMonkey. “One of the things we've found is that what might be called 'off-the-record behavior' is widespread.”

And it's not just rank-and-file employees: According to Smith, more than half of managers and 49% of senior executives also multitask while on business calls.