Employees spending extra 2h working during COVID-19 mandated remote work

New data from NordVPN Teams shows a massive spike since March 11 in business VPN usage worldwide in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. This directly correlates with the mass increase in remote work globally. The fundamental shift in work location will have enormous ramifications on digital business, the economy, and cybersecurity.

Key numbers:

• NordVPN Teams has seen a 165% usage spike and an almost 600%increase in sales overall.
• People are working longer than before: Data showed a 2-hour increase to the average workday, compared to the period before the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The US is spending an extra 3 hours/day on business VPNs — that figure marks the highest jump worldwide.
• NordVPN Teams saw a massive spike in desktop usage as people around the world work remotely. Desktop usage has grown by 91% in the last week.
• According to Gartner, large corporations with 10,000 people or more have the capacity to accommodate only 10% of their employees to work remote.

NordVPN Teams usage growth:

Country Growth (%)

UK 48.1

USA 65.93

France 187.71

Denmark 180.35

Netherlands 240.49

Belgium 187.76

Spain 95.89

Canada 206.29

Austria 207.86

Italy 10.57

As shown in the statistics above, business VPN usage skyrocketed in Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands, growing by over 200%. Interestingly, Italians showed a modest 10% growth, which coincided with a widely-reported spike in usage on home networks, many of which might lack the necessary protection for remote work.

The UK seems to be preparing the most. NordVPN Teams sales in the country grew by 400%, highlighting a growing trend: companies need powerful, cloud-based security to go remote.

Working hours:

Country
Average working hours, before March 11
Average working hours, after March 11 UK 9 11 USA 8 11 France 8 10 Denmark 9 10 Netherlands 9 10 Belgium 9 10 Spain 8 10 Canada 9 11 Austria 9 10 Italy 8 8

The US increased their average workday by almost 40%, adding an extra 3 hours — the largest jump worldwide. The UK, France, Canada, and Spain are seeing a 2-hour increase.

In addition to the findings, the data revealed employees are also starting work earlier — but finishing at the same time. The lack of morning commute could be the cause.

Desktop and mobile app usage growth:

Country Desktop (%) / Mobile (%)

UK 42.66 / 20.44

USA 94.09 / 0.39

France 72.34 / 3.47

Denmark 91.49 / 31.06

Netherlands 112.9 / 44.09

Belgium 96.63 / 16.67

Spain 94.74 / 19.51

Canada 67.16 / 12.21

Austria 161.15 / 0

Italy 85.89 / 10.87

Countries affected by quarantine are using business VPNs more than ever before. Austria saw the highest growth at 161%. The spike in desktop usage across the board can be directly attributed to the mass wave of remote work around the world.

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ABOUT NORDVPN TEAMS NordVPN Teams is a cybersecurity solution for business from the world’s most advanced VPN service provider NordVPN. NordVPN Teams has a full range of features to ensure convenience and powerful digital protection for enterprises, remote teams, and freelancers. NordVPN Teams offers advanced 256-bit encryption, fixed IP, site to site connection, unsecured traffic prevention, automatic connection on Wi-Fi networks, and 24/7 customer support with a dedicated manager. NordVPN Teams is available on all major platforms.