New research from Plantronics, the leading maker of communication headsets, has found almost two thirds (62%) of UK workers would be happier and more productive working from home. However, 75% of UK office workers are in jobs that offer no flexibility in where they carry out their work. Currently only 12% of the working population regularly or permanently work from home increasing by just a fifth over the last ten years.1
According to the study of 1400 office workers conducted by Plantronics2 to further understand the impact of technology on office and home workers, the key reasons UK staff want to work from home include the rising cost of fuel, 48%, the need for flexible working schedules, 55%, and the desire to give themselves a better work-life balance, 39%.
Just 22% of UK workers surveyed would choose to work in a traditional office and nearly 15%, given the choice would like to work in their garden to take advantage of the summer sunshine.
Company culture prevents home working
Lack of access to the right technology is seen as a block to home working for workers. 17% of employees feel poorly equipped at home and unsupported by bosses who are reluctant to provide the right technology to facilitate home working. Despite the widespread availability and falling price of technologies that could make home working easy, such as high speed broadband, wireless headsets and portable communication devices people still feel tied to their desks.
UK office workers believed their employers look down upon the practice of home working; more than a fifth of managers still believe colleagues that work from home do less work, are more inclined to procrastinate and are not seen as part of the team.
Just a quarter of workers think staff who work from home are more productive. In contrast, respondents that did work from home claim to work longer hours than traditional based office workers, although almost half (46%) confessed to spending over an hour of every working day on non-work activities. By far the most regular activity is personal internet use (61%) and paying bills, with 1 in 10 of home workers confessing to watching the TV and even having a nap during working hours!
Women multi-task with housework
Home workers indicated that they are able to multitask easier than office workers especially if they have the use of a wireless headset, with those questioned saying they are more able to respond to work emails (45%), complete work-based internet research (46%), and manage projects (29%) all while on the phone.
The survey also revealed working from home can go hand in hand with multitasking as 42% of female home workers indicated to regularly do cleaning or laundry during the workday and almost a third of men say they use work time to prepare meals or keep fit.
Old fashioned employers
"The suspicion that home workers don't work as hard or waste more time is very old fashioned", says Paul Clark, General Manager, UK, for Plantronics. "Our research shows home workers are more likely to work smarter and multi-task more, whether that's replying to emails while on the phone, putting on the washing whilst participating in a conference call, or welcoming the children home from school between tasks."
[1]According to research by the TUC (Trade Union Congress) for National Work From Home Day 2008; http://www.pressrooms.net/workwiseuk/
[2] Independent survey of 1400 UK office workers conducted by ICM in July 2008 | 
