4 in 10 workers expect to work from home more often

An end to Covid-19 lockdown may not mean an end to home working for many UK workers, with a survey finding that four in 10 people expect to work from home more than they did before, even once the crisis is over.

More than 5,000 UK workers were asked to think beyond Summer 2020 and consider whether they were more likely, less likely, or equally likely to work from home in the future.

The result signalled a significant increase in remote working, with 43% of respondents saying they were more likely to work from home in the latter half of 2020 and beyond.

Adam Jones, Editor of HomeworkerHQ.com, the website behind the survey, said: “Companies and staff are beginning to realise that they can be just as productive while working remotely as they can in an office. And that working from home has many benefits.

“Remote working can improve employee satisfaction and retention, reduce carbon emissions and bring about savings in costly office space, facilities and utilities.” 

Prior to the Coronavirus crisis, only 30% of the UK workforce had ever worked from home, while only 5.1% of the working population worked from home most of the time. In recent years, the number of home workers has been steadily increasing – from 4.3% in 2015 to 5.1% in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, the current need for millions of people to work from home has the potential to accelerate this trend.

“Not everyone can work from home of course, but there really is no reason why most desk-based jobs can’t be done remotely for at least some of the working week,” added Jones.

“A combination of modern technology, such as high-speed internet and video conferencing, combined with the catalyst of the Coronavirus crisis, now looks set to make remote working part of the new normal.”