A recent report by global workplace provider Regus that surveyed 22,000 workers across more than 100 countries reveals that globally, 70 per cent of professionals say there are now more flexible workers compared with just five years ago. In New Zealand, 73 per cent of people who took part in the survey reported that more people are working remotely now.

"While remote working is more popular, it does beg the question where people find suitable places outside of work where they can be optimally productive," said Nick Bradshaw, Regus New Zealand's Country Manager. "Noisy and disruptive settings are proving a real issue for busy professionals."

New Zealand respondents identified the top productivity killers as lengthy meetings (60 per cent) and IT glitches (56 per cent) in alternative work areas such as cafés. The global top time-waster, traffic jams, only rated as the third worst productivity killer in New Zealand, at 34 per cent.

While professionals wishing to adopt a more flexible approach to working have many different options, business centres score highest. More than half of professionals globally believing these to be a safe haven for productivity when working outside the office (53 per cent).

"The New Zealand findings are very much in line with the global result in this regard," said Mr Bradshaw.

Further key findings from New Zealand:

• Just 32 per cent of respondents say working from home is good for productivity outside the office, although this rises to 57 per cent for the lucky ones who are able to invest in a professional home office.
• Professional group or association lounges score surprisingly low at 12 per cent, suggesting that these locations are better for networking than for getting work done.
• Cafés, with their associated issues of lack of privacy, unreliable Internet connection, and background noise, also score low at just 16 per cent.

"Having the option to work from different locations can be enormously beneficial for many workers, but the challenge is in finding the right environment outside of the office to allow people to remain just as, if not more, productive," said Mr Bradshaw.

"For those without a professional home office, business centres with their professional, productive working environments and IT security provide an answer, allowing busy professionals the peace and functionality they need, when they need it."

www.regus.co.nz

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