More than half of temporary workers, 55%, reported working an assignment remotely at least some of the time in 2022, according to SIA’s North America Temporary Worker Survey 2023. Of those, more than three-quarters were subject to performance monitoring to some degree.
The survey also asked temporary workers, “If you worked a remote/at home temp assignment in 2022, how was your productivity measured?” The most stringent type of monitoring, reported by 29% of respondents, involved a manager using an electronic method to continually observe productivity. The second-most stringent required output to be delivered by daily or weekly deadlines and was reported by 31% of respondents. Another 9% were also subject to output-based measurement but on a more relaxed basis, requiring output by the end of the assignment. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of remote-working temporary workers, 22%, said they were “basically on an honesty system,” with neither electronic measurement nor deliverables deadlines.
Results also found that the methods of monitoring remote temporary worker productivity vary widely by worker occupation, age and hourly wage. In general, temporary workers who are lower-paid, younger, and/or in healthcare or office/clerical occupations are more likely to be monitored electronically; meanwhile, those who are higher-paid, professional and/or older are more likely to be measured based on deliverables or on an honesty system.
Source: North America Temporary Worker Survey 2023: Prevalence of remote work among temporary workers
