Home workers reach record highs
Home workers reach record highs
The number of people working from home has reached record levels, new research has revealed this month.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) there were 4.2 million UK home workers in the first three months of 2014. This accounts for 13.9 per cent of the total workforce and is the highest figure since records began in 1998.
Technology has played a critical part in enabling employees to work from home. Faster and more reliable internet connections, combined with cloud-hosted applications, services and data means that staff can remain as productive as they are their desks while at home.
Communication tools such as VoIP and videoconferencing tools have also meant that workers do not need to be in the office to effectively collaborate with colleagues. Moreover, the fact that a lot of companies’ business critical software can all be accessed via the cloud means that the desktop computer no longer acts as a gateway into their work life.
There are various different groups of people who enjoy the benefits of home working. There are some who use their homes as a full-time business premises while others use it on an ad hoc basis when they do not need or want to travel to the office.
Indeed, home working is seen as an important tool for HR departments to bring in the best talent as it alleviates geographical constraints on where you hire new personnel.
However, despite the steady rise in the figure, the TUC said too many UK bosses still did not trust staff to work from home and forced them into the office. The TUCS general secretary asserted: "Employers' attitudes to new working practices must change to make a much better use of modern technology in all workplaces.”
The ONS data also showed that home workers often command higher pay; median wages are £13.23 an hour for someone working from home, compared with £10.50 an hour for other workers.
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