Home office everyday life: Private activities hardly disturb productivity

Contents

More than half of employees in home office accept packages during working hours. This is shown by a current survey by the market research institute Appinio and the time tracking software provider Timo24. 58.8 percent stated that they regularly take care of the “package check”. Other frequent private activities during working hours: 46.2 percent answer private messages, 42.8 percent do laundry or other household chores.

The frequency of such interruptions is remarkable: 16.9 percent of respondents take care of private matters several times a day. However, the time spent remains manageable: 74 percent spend less than 30 minutes per day on such activities.

Productivity increases despite distraction

Despite these interruptions, 75.9 percent of respondents report higher or much higher productivity in home office compared to the office. As reasons, 31.3 percent cite that small tasks act as relaxation, 25 percent that they help with stress management. 30.7 percent trust their own time management, 41.1 percent are convinced they complete all tasks.

The assessment is consistent with data from the ifo Institute, according to which hybrid work models generally do not impair productivity. According to another ifo study, the home office quota in August 2025 remained stable at 24.4 percent: a value that has hardly changed since April 2022. In service industries, 35.1 percent work partly from home, in manufacturing industries 15.7 percent.

Conscience and Control

The majority of respondents view private activities with equanimity: 83 percent find them acceptable as long as the work results are satisfactory. 31.4 percent are completely free of guilt. At the same time, 40 percent observe extended breaks among colleagues, 28.4 percent the performance of other work, and 28.2 percent the private use of company devices. Only 25.9 percent believe in a “clean slate” within the team.

When it comes to time tracking, different behaviors emerge: 26.3 percent meticulously document their hours, but 11.8 percent “forget” overtime outside core hours. Reasons given for incorrect entries include high workload (27.3 percent) and the desire to compensate for unpaid overtime (21.1 percent). Since the judgments of the ECJ 2019 and the BAG 2022, employers must systematically record daily working hours - including in home office. From 2026, electronic recording is to become mandatory.

Regional Differences

The study shows significant regional differences in work-life balance: In Berlin, 62.5 percent accept private activities during working hours, in Saxony-Anhalt 61.5 percent. Brandenburg is more restrictive with 22.2 percent. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 30.8 percent handle private matters several times a day - 42.3 percent of them without a bad conscience. In Saarland, 25 percent do not record overtime.

In the survey, market researchers questioned a total of 1,001 employed individuals in Germany who can use home office. The study is representative in terms of age, gender, and region. Details on the figures can be found here.

(fo)