Netflix and Clean: What WFH employees do differently with their days

The illusion of remote effort

For years, remote work has been wrapped in narratives about balance, autonomy, and freedom. But now that the pandemic is a long way behind us, we can look at the data and see a more honest picture of what’s really going on.

Across 3,759 Americans working from home or the office in 2023 and 2024, weekday data shows that people at home are spending their time very differently than their in-office peers.

WFH vs WFO: Where the time really goes

When we compare full-time professionals who worked entirely from home with those who worked entirely in the office, the differences are interesting:

• 🧺 +21 minutes on chores: WFH folks spend 80.8 minutes a day on household activities like cleaning, cooking, and laundry — compared to 59.7 minutes for their office peers.
• 🍿 +26 minutes on leisure: The biggest bump comes from “socializing, relaxing, and leisure,” mostly watching TV.
• 🚗 –31 minutes traveling: No surprise — skipping the commute saves time.
• 🧒 +9 minutes caring for others: Slightly more family care at home, but far less than the extra time spent relaxing.
• 😴 –4 minutes on personal care: No, they’re not sleeping in or taking longer showers — the myth of the “WFH nap” doesn’t show up in the data.

When you add in that WFH folks are also working over an hour less than their WFO peers, it all makes sense — save 30 minutes of commuting, work an hour less, and spend that time cooking and chilling out with a bit of extra time looking after the kids.  
But it’s when we split the data between those actually working full days at home and those barely working at all that the picture really changes.

Actual WFH vs Fake WFH: Two worlds apart

Among remote professionals, we divided respondents into two groups:

• Actual WFH (AWFH): Worked 7.5+ hours on their survey day
• Fake WFH (FWFH): Worked less than 3.5 hours

Then we compared their days.

• 📺 +132 minutes of leisure: Fake WFHers spent over two extra hours watching TV, gaming, or socializing. In total, they logged more than 4.5 hours of leisure in a single weekday.
• 🧽 +114 minutes of chores: They’re also doing a lot more household work — almost doubling their time on cleaning and cooking.
• 😴 +51 minutes of sleep and self-care: They’re not tired. They’re rested.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 +30 minutes caring for others: Some of that extra time does go to family, but still far less than what’s lost to Netflix and naps.
• 🚙 +72 minutes traveling: Oddly, they’re on the move almost as much as office workers. So much for saving the commute.

Every day for these fake WFHers is like a weekend.

The trust gap that breaks teams

This isn’t about blaming individuals — it’s about recognizing reality. Managers aren’t imagining things when they feel their teams are less engaged. The numbers prove it.

When some people are grinding at home and others are coasting, the imbalance poisons trust. The grinders get resentful. The managers burn out trying to compensate. And executives — faced with the data — start calling people back to the office.

We can’t fix what we won’t acknowledge. Pretending everyone’s putting in the same effort only deepens the divide.

Making remote work real again

The dream of remote work doesn’t have to die — but it does need a reality check. The problem isn’t the location. It’s the lack of visibility.

Old tools can’t show managers what’s really happening. Spyware isn’t the answer either — it kills morale and trust.

Data that helps managers see who’s truly contributing. Insights that reward real engagement. Transparency that rebuilds trust between leaders and teams.

Remote work can work — but only if we stop faking it.