Not too many months after the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset, executives called the shift to working from home a boost to productivity.
Whether or not it is advantageous to workers in the long term is an unsettled question. While remote working allows employees to do more “deep work,” it can also lead to workers feeling disconnected. Take our quiz on some of the study findings and circumstances surrounding this hotly debated issue.
1. The finance and insurance industries have the highest potential for successful remote work models, says McKinsey. Of the following sectors, which has the lowest potential for remote work?
A. Real estate
B. Wholesale trade
C. Utilities
D. Health care and social assistance
2. Few U.S. executives think corporate cultures will survive an all-remote work setup. In one survey, a plurality of executives said that to keep a strong culture, employees need to be in the office how often?
A. Two days per week
B. Three days per week
C. Four days per week
D. One to three days per month
3. In a Willis Towers Watson survey of North American employers, what percentage reported that compensation would be based on remote workers’ location for all jobs?
A. 42%
B. 19%
C. 26%
D. 65%
4. Which of the following companies has stated that it will let all employees work from home permanently?
A. Dropbox
B. Salesforce
C. Microsoft
D. Facebook
5. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has called remote work an “aberration.” Which experience during the past year seems to have particularly irked the high-profile banking executive?
A. A two-hour-long Slack outage during which he was unable to reach the CFO
B. Running into junior bankers having a midday lunch in the Hamptons
C. Entering the company’s New York headquarters and finding it empty
D. Running into a senior banker on a weekday while hiking
6. Which FAANG company recently declared that workers have to be back in offices by September 1 unless they
formally apply for an exception?
A. Google
B. Apple
C. Facebook
D. Netflix
7. According to one video technology company, remote employees are working how many extra hours per month?
A. 8
B. 15
C. 26
D. 30
8. A Nielsen study found that about half of remote employees have done what while working during business hours?
A. Read the newspaper
B. Cooked a meal
C. Run on a treadmill
D. Watched television
Answers: 1-D; 2-B; 3-C; 4-A; 5-B; 6-A; 7-C; 8-D
Sources: McKinsey, PwC, Willis Towers Watson, Bloomberg