Working From Home: A Benefit That’s Come From Hardship
Before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the UK, working from home was a luxury only a minority of workers were allowed to indulge in.
It was argued employees would not fully contribute or be productive if they were allowed to work independently without supervision.
Of course, it then became essential for workers to do their jobs remotely where possible to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. But now that risk has significantly decreased, the desire to work from home remains. The practice has, on the whole, proven massively successful and it’s something many employers are offering as part of a benefits package to attract in-demand workers.
According to research published by poster printing specialists instantprint, more than a third of workers are still working from home (36%) and would love to continue doing so indefinitely. For others, a more flexible ‘hybrid’ approach is preferable. Around a quarter wanted to go back to work part-time and work the rest of the week from home. This approach would provide the best of both worlds, including the freedom and extra time that comes with remote working, supplemented by the face-to-face meetings you can only get when you attend a workplace in person.
Interestingly, around 7% of respondents claimed they wouldn’t be ready to return to work until at least 2022. Around the same number claimed they didn’t ever want to go back to work in the way they did before.
The Benefits of Working from Home
Clearly, there’s been a significant shift in attitudes. But how can we explain it? What’s so great about working from home, anyway?
More time: The average commute time in the UK is around an hour a day. For some workers, particularly those in busy urban areas like London, this might rise to double that. Clearly, by working from home, you’re freeing up time that can be used to pursue other activities.
More money: If you aren’t commuting, you aren’t going to be spending money on travel, the lunches you buy from a nearby store or on a range of other things.
Optimization: The office environment can be a stressful one. If you’re working from home, you can arrange things as you see fit to limit this. While there might be rules governing what you can put on your desk in the office, the same isn’t true of the one in your spare bedroom.
Location independence: Working from home needn’t mean you actually have to be at home all the time. If you feel like relocating to a nearby café or a cottage in the Cotswolds, you can do it easily – as long as you are still contactable!
