TUC research shows home working on the rise

TUC research shows home working on the rise

Increasing numbers of people are opting to carry out their work from home, new research by the Trades Union Congress has found.

With technology and communications ever improving, working from home is easier – and more popular – than ever before, allowing workers a level of flexibility that they cannot get if based in an office. It also saves time and money on the daily commute and affords many people a far better work/life balance.

The research – which was released to link in with last week’s National Work From Home Day - revealed that the number of homeworkers in the UK has risen by 13 per cent over the last five years.

Last year, over four million UK employees frequently worked from home, representing a rise of 470,000 since 2007. Wales, Scotland and the south-east showed the highest peaks in the number of local residents working from home, for some or all of the working week.

General secretary at the TUC, Frances O'Grady, said: "The sheer scale of home working proves how easily it can be done but there are still too many employers who are reluctant to allow staff to work away from the office or the shop floor.

“Of course there are challenges with home working ... But these issues are easily dealt with through smart employment relations, which unions can help with”, Ms O’Grady added.

Firms that do allow employees to work from home have reported increased employee loyalty and satisfaction. Implementing technology such as VoIP, which allows colleagues to communicate in a reliable and cost-effective manner wherever they are based, is playing a part in the success of homeworking, as well as other tools such as smartphones.

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