Homeworking up by 152,000 over the last year
24 May 2017
TUC analysis shows that more than 1.6 million employees (1 in 16) worked from home in 2016, an increase of 7.7% on 2015.
The number of employees who usually work from home increased by 152,000 last year, according to new analysis published by the TUC to mark National Work From Home Day (19 May).
The analysis also reveals that:
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Women have seen the biggest rise: The number of women working from home has increased by 10.5% (64,000) over the past year. However, men still account for the majority of homeworkers, with 966,000 regularly working from home in 2016, compared to 673,000 women.
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Older employees are more likely to work from home: 1 in 13 workers in their forties and fifties work from home. By contrast, just 1 in 36 workers (168,000) in their twenties regularly work from home.
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The South West has the highest proportion of homeworkers: 1 in 11 workers in the South West regularly work from home. The next highest is the East of England (1 in 13), followed by the South East (1 in 14). Northern Ireland has the lowest proportion of homeworkers in the UK, with just 1 in 33 employees saying they regularly work from home.
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IT, agriculture and construction have the biggest share of homeworkers: 1 in 6 IT workers regularly work from home.
Government research shows that another 4 million UK workers would like to work from home for at least some of their working week but are not given the chance.
TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:
“Homeworking is a great option for some workers, especially those with disabilities. Businesses should seriously look at the benefits it can bring.
Allowing employees to work from home can be good for holding on to talented staff and boosting productivity.
But homeworking shouldn’t be viewed as way of cutting costs. It should always be a real choice for the workers who want it.”
Chief Executive of Work Wise UK, the organiser of National Work From Home Day, Phil Flaxton said:
“Nationally, an increasing number of employers and employees are realising that work is an activity we do, rather than a place we go to.
Attitudes are changing on how we balance or mix work and lifestyle. Increasing mobility and technology is shifting the acceptance or need for traditional nine-to-five work patterns, to be replaced by a more flexible approach to working from home.”