New data from jobs site, Monster.co.uk, shows that working from home is on the rise with 40% taking the opportunity at least once a week and 1 in 10 now working from home full time. In fact, the practice is becoming so popular that a quarter (26%) of Brits surveyed stated they would not accept a job if it did not allow them the option of working from home.
The positives of working from home are clear, with over half of those surveyed (59%) saying they are more productive when they choose to work from home and 46% stating they actually prefer to work from home.
When asked to list what they felt the most important benefits of working from home were, those surveyed stated time saved commuting (30%), a better work life balance (22%), higher productivity (14%), reduced stress (11%), and money saved from no longer commuting in to work (9%).
A small proportion also highlighted their reduced carbon footprint as a bonus. The average person in the UK would reduce their CO2 emissions by 988 kg, equivalent to the volume of CO2 absorbed by 44 fully grown trees in a year.
Despite the benefits almost half (47%) of employees state their workplace doesn’t have an official policy on working from home. And perhaps because of this Brits do have some concerns about converting to working from home. A third (33%) admit they like to work from home but only part time, 15% are concerned about colleagues judging them for being out of the office, and 11% worry they are less likely to be considered for promotions.
For those who want to embrace working from home, but are unsure how to approach their employers, Monster.co.uk has created a template letter asking for flexible working that can be filled in and presented to managers to get the process started.
Louise Goodman, Marketing Director at Monster.co.uk, comments:
“Working from home is a growing trend in the UK – however some businesses have been slow to adapt. For anyone who thinks they would work well outside of the office environment, and would like to save a little time on the side, you are well within your rights to ask your employer for the opportunity to work from home.”
“At Monster, we ran a few ‘what if’ scenarios looking into the other positive impacts that increased working from home could bring. It turns out beyond potentially improving work life balance, we could see less crowded trains, substantial savings and significantly reduced CO2 emissions. All very good reasons to consider a switch.”
For more information on ‘What if we worked from home’, see here: https://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/Vision-of-uk-home-working.
5 tips to ensure you are getting the most out of working from home from Lou Goodman, Marketing Director at Monster.co.uk:
Dress to impress – Make yourself presentable and leave your home – take a short walk to get a coffee/newspaper etc. When you return, imagine you’re entering your office. If you want to work like you’re in an office then treat your home like one
Don’t get distracted – Draw up a quick list of all the thing that could distract you when you are at home. Like watching TV, playing video games, reading, catching up with friends etc.
Keep this list somewhere you can see it during the day – this is your reward once your work day is over.
Start you day in the right way – Get started 30 minutes early and let your team or line manager know that you’ve begun work for the day. This is two-fold. First, it will demonstrate that WFH benefits you and secondly, it shows a willingness to get things done. Remember, colleagues can’t see you so small, recognisable actions will go a long way to keep you in people’s minds.
Music will help you concentrate – Have the radio or some music on in the background so you don’t feel like you are alone. Of course, if you have a busy household you might be looking forward to some peace and quiet so make sure everyone around you knows when they can and can’t disturb you.
Finishing for the day – Before thinking about ending for the day – communicate with your colleagues. Is there anything else you can do? Is there anything they need? Ensure nothing is left to chance before you log off for the day.
