Employees Embrace Work-from-Home but Worry about Data Security, Study Shows

Remote work has become the new normal for millions of employees across the world. While it might have seemed unfeasible at first, the shift was eagerly embraced by workers, who often expressed the highlights and difficulties encountered during the transition phase.

According to a new Lenovo survey, 63% of remote workers state that they are more productive working at home than at the office. But this productivity comes with a price. On top of physical concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 1 in 3 respondents worry about their device and data security.

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Data breaches and cyber-attacks have flooded the headlines alongside coronavirus developments, and employees have expressed their concerns regarding WFH, and how telework can make their companies even more susceptible to data breaches. 72% of participants noted they are “extremely” “very” or “somewhat” concerned about protecting their personal data on their work devices.

“As a result, security will need to be built into employees” hardware, software and services (including deployment, set-up and maintenance) from the get-go,” the study reads.

Despite these concerns, 79% of employees “strongly” or “somewhat agree” that they have become their own IT person since working from home, with nearly 70% of employees saying they have bought new technology to accommodate the new work-from-home requirements during the pandemic.

Between May 8 and May 14, the company surveyed 20,262 workers from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, China, India and Japan. While remote work has been embraced across all regions, employees feel that their company tech is not keeping up with their needs.

Only 19% of respondents believe their employers “are leaders in their industries when it comes to adopting new and emerging tech, and are strongly committed to staying up to date”. 82% of global employees claim that their employers face various difficulties as they strive to keep up with technological advancements. The top roadblocks named by respondents include:

• Difficulties training employees to use new and emerging tech
• Prioritizing budgets and overall affordability
• Lack of understanding of employee needs