Hawaii is one of the worst states to work from home

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Despite the country opening in a post-pandemic way, many people are choosing to still work from home. Reasons included less time away from home, not battling traffic or simply getting more work done.

WalletHub, a free credit score company, recently ranked the best and worst states to work from home in and Hawaii ranked close to the bottom. 

While some businesses are embracing the work-from-home positions, many jobs simply can’t adapt like those in hospitality, retail, food and others. 

To find out the states that provide the best conditions for working from home, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics. 

They took into consideration working from home internet cost, cybersecurity, how large or crowded one’s home is, and more.

The top three best states to work from home in include New Jersey, the District of Columbia and Delaware. On the other side, the top three worst states are Montana, Mississippi and Alaska. Hawaii came in 44 out of 51. Their study found Hawaii ranked so low due to the high cost of electricity and lack of an office or workspace at home.

However, working from home may be a reality for those who can sustain not going into an office setting. Susan Bisom-Rapp, Professor of Law at California Western School of Law, said companies who invest more resources in establishing a functional work from home alternative might be beneficial. 

“Employers would be wise to invest more resources in offering a work-from-home alternative,” said Bisom-Rapp. “Such an alternative will be attractive to at least some highly skilled workers.”

She also mentioned a work-from-home alternative has positive environmental implications as it can cut down on commuting. 

“There are several advantages to working from home. First among these is flexibility, which allows employees to adjust their work schedules to other commitments, including those to family,” said Bisom-Rapp. “Second, working from home can lower the employees’ expenses because it eliminates commute costs and costs associated with maintaining a professional wardrobe.”

To read WalletHub’s full report and get more information on the pros and cons of working from home head to their website.