A third of employees in the UAE enjoy working outdoors: WFH study

People working from home during the pandemic have discovered some novelties that they would now like to keep, according to a new study commissioned by Kaspersky.

Comforts favored by employees in the United Arab Emirates include weekday lie-ins (35 per cent), binge-watching Netflix (33 per cent) and working outside in the garden or on a balcony (32 per cent).

The majority of respondents said they benefitted from simply working in comfortable clothes: 48 per cent got used to this lifestyle and would like to make it the norm in the future. Saying goodbye to long commutes also made employees happier as they could wake up shortly before work started, while many also enjoyed taking a nap during the day (32 per cent).

Continuing to discover the perks of the new normal, 32 per cent of people enjoy working outside in the garden or on a balcony, and 33 per cent even manage to binge-watch Netflix at work. Other treats favoured by employees include more time for video games(21 per cent) and takeaway lunches (29 per cent).

Read: Securing remote workplaces a priority now for business owners

However, this newfound flexibility comes with cybersecurity risks. Marina Titova, head of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky, said the 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,” Titova added.