By Natasha Lomas, 13 May 2009 15:39
NEWS
Increasing numbers of recession-hit Brits are choosing to work from home in order to save cash, a new report has found.
More than half (55 per cent) of employees are working from home more frequently since the financial crisis began, according to research commissioned by BT Business. And the vast majority (88 per cent) said their main reason for doing so is the need to save money.
The most widely cited financial saving associated with WFH is not having to get dolled up and 'look the part' for the office - cited by 83 per cent of survey respondents. Almost a third of respondents reckon they can save around £250 per year by not buying smart work clothes.
However cutting down on commuting by regularly working from home has the potential to save even more cash - with almost half of respondents claiming they can make savings of between £10 and £20 per day by not travelling to their workplace. Other significant savings associated come from not having to buy lunch, lattes and expensive snacks from the vending machine.
Nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) of respondents believe they are generally financially better off because they have the flexibility to WFH, the survey found.
But fatter wallets are not the only benefit of flexible working: home workers get the luxury of more time too as they roll out of bed and plonk themselves down at their desk.
According to research commissioned by networking company Avaya, Europeans spend around a fortnight sitting in traffic or crammed under someone's armpit on a rush-hour train.
The poll of more than 3,500 employees in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK found the average commute time is 70 minutes per day, using 1.7 modes of transport. The most common mode of transport is the car - used by 60 per cent of respondents for getting to work.
However the research also found the majority (66 per cent) of workers are able to work a proportion of each week flexibly - and their work/life balance is most likely to benefit as a result.
Asked how they use the time saved by not commuting, the largest proportion (56 per cent) said they spent time with their family; followed by 45 per cent who just 'relax'; and 42 per cent who do tasks or attend appointments they otherwise wouldn't have time for.
A healthy quarter said they use the time for exercise and an over-keen fifth (21 per cent) do more work. Nineteen per cent take on the school run.
Even so, the vast majority of European workers have to do a traditional commute sometimes - just nine per cent never have to commute.
This Friday is not-for-profit organisation Work Wise UK's 'National Work From Home Day' - part of its Work Wise Week to raise awareness of the benefits of smarter working practices.
Click here to read how silicon.com fared last year when the whole team worked from home.
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. Austin
Really...., how many of us get the choice to WFH when we feel like it?
2. Jim
While there are many benefits to working from home a couple of days a week there are many disadvantages when it becomes full time working from home. I used to have the flexibility of WFH or an office and this was an ideal balance. 18 months ago they shut the office to save money and I was permanently based from home. Since then I've found myself feeling remote from the team I work in, I feel I lose a basic understanding of what is going on in the business from not having those daily or weekly chat with colleagues over a drink or lunch, and can't just turn round and ask someone when I need assistance. Personally it has had a very negative impact with friends and family all commenting on how I "have lost my spark". Working from home all the time in just your own company is not the way forward. A sensible balance between WFH and office work is the furthest we should go. To those of you who do the occasional day WFH and still have the option to go into an office and don't see the issues, I can tell you it is a very difference experience when WFH is your only option. I have many colleagues who still have access to offices in other parts of the country and they just don't understand. All of my colleagues who were forced to work from home have now either left the company or are mostly miserable in their day to day working life as a result. Please stop plugging the benefits of WFH without considering the negative impacts!
3. Austin
Austin, well actually I do and surely you can negotiate a fexible week where maybe you do 3 office days and 2 WFH days. That way you both benefit!
Austin,
4. Jim
Once the company saw office attendance drop, as employees were flexible working, they decided to close the office completely leaving no other option than working from home. All employees from the office were reclassified as home workers.