What It Means
Remote work is doing your job from somewhere other than your employer's office or site, usually from home. It can be every day, or part of the week in a hybrid arrangement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks it as telework, counting people who teleworked or worked at home for pay.
Try It: See What Your Home Days Save
Example numbers to start. Put in your own commute and the yearly savings update.
Gas and fares only. Home costs on those days aren't counted here.
How People Say It at Work
- "I'm WFH on Mondays and Fridays."
- "Is that job fully remote or hybrid?"
- "No commute today, so I started at eight."
The Breakdown
Worked example: what two home days save
A worker lives 15 miles from the office, so the round trip is 30 miles. The car gets 25 miles per gallon, gas is $3.50 a gallon, the drive takes 30 minutes each way, and they work from home 2 days a week for 48 weeks a year. These are example numbers.
| What changes | Math | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Miles not driven | 30 miles × 2 days × 48 weeks | 2,880 miles |
| Gas not bought | 2,880 ÷ 25 × $3.50 | $403 |
| Time back | 1 hour × 2 days × 48 weeks | 96 hours |
What the result means. The figure counts gas, fares and time. Heating, cooling and electricity at home may rise on the days you're there, so the true saving can be smaller.
How common it is, per the BLS. In the first quarter of 2024, 35.5 million people teleworked or worked at home for pay, 22.9% of people at work, up from 19.6% a year earlier. In April 2025, the telework rate for private wage and salary workers was 20.8%, close to the 20.4% of a year before.
Good to Know
BLS added telework questions to its monthly Current Population Survey in October 2022, so its monthly telework figures start from that point. Whether a job can be done remotely, and on which days, is set by the employer, so read the written policy or your offer letter before counting on home days.
FAQ
How many Americans work remotely?
The BLS counted 35.5 million people who teleworked or worked at home for pay in the first quarter of 2024, or 22.9% of people at work. In April 2025 the telework rate for private wage and salary workers was 20.8%.
What's the difference between remote and hybrid work?
Remote work can mean working away from the office every day. Hybrid workHybrid workA work arrangement that splits the week between working from home and working at the employer's site, such as three office days and two at home. See more splits the week between home and the workplace, with set or chosen office days.
What does WFH mean?
Work from home. People use it for a day spent working at home, as in "I'm WFH tomorrow."
Do It in Buhata
Team Space and Calendar
Put your home and office days on the Calendar in your Team Space so teammates can see where you'll be each day.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Hybrid work
A work arrangement that splits the week between working from home and working at the employer's site, such as three office days and two at home.
- Home office setup
Arranging a desk, chair, screen and keyboard at home so you can work in a comfortable, neutral posture for long stretches.
- Return to office
An employer policy that calls staff who worked remotely back to the workplace for some or all of the week, often called an RTO mandate.
- Coffee badging
Slang for going into the office only briefly, long enough to be seen and have a coffee, then leaving to work elsewhere, usually at home.
- Work-life balance
How your time and energy divide between paid work and the rest of your life, such as family, rest, health and interests.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Telework or work at home for pay"; BLS, The Economics Daily, "Telework rates increased over the year at all levels of educational attainment, first quarter 2024"; BLS, The Economics Daily, "Telework rate down for federal government workers in April 2025"
- www.bls.gov/cps/telework.htm
- www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/telework-rates-increased-over-the-year-at-all-levels-of-educational-attainment-first-quarter-2024.htm
- www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/telework-rate-down-for-federal-government-workers-in-april-2025.htm
Last updated .