Nearly six in 10 (57%) workers believe they get more done working from home, according to research by online retailer CartridgePeople.com.
The study of 1,096 British workers, titled the SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Workers Report, found that just 5% reported that working from home had a negative effect on their productivity. Only 12% of workers felt they are more easily distracted at home.
The data revealed that 30.5% of UK employees work from home every day, while 14% do so once a week. It found that 38% work from home outside office hours, with a fifth (22%) doing this in the evening and 18% at the weekend.
The south of England and the Midlands currently lead the way for home working in the UK, with just three northern cities (Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds) making the top 10 home working capitals of the UK (in order: London, Birmingham, Southampton, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle and Plymouth) .
Natalie Bickford, group HR director at Merlin Entertainments, said there is a business case for allowing employees to work from home.
“In my opinion home working is a key element of the employee engagement mix,” she told HR magazine. “Having the opportunity to work flexibly, partly from the office and partly from home, drives loyalty and commitment to the organisation. It can also significantly improve efficiency and delivery of good business outcomes.
“The blurring line of work and home life in all aspects of society means that companies need to embrace this, and ensure that they deliver working solutions that fit the widest range of the talent pool.”
