According to a new survey by Total Jobs, one in four workers would leave their jobs if they were not allowed to work from home. Amongst millennials, that percentage increases to 45 percent.
The survey - consisting of over 1,000 workers and 260 employers - showed that remote working is in the top five most important benefits when looking for a new job and surpassed other perks such as enhanced parental leave, travel allowances and learning and development.
Of those seeking employment, 20 percent said that they would choose to take employment where they were offered remote working in preference to one where they were not.
Women were found to appreciate the flexibility that remote working offers, with 24 percent preferring the option of working from home or in the office compared to 16 percent of men.
Of the bosses surveyed, two-thirds stated that they offer remote working to their employees. The reason given by 38 percent of bosses for offering this perk is that it assists staff in their work-life balance – whilst 25 percent stated that it was to reduce sick leave.
One-fifth of employers consider that their staff are more productive and happier when working remotely and that is why they offer it. Employees agree with this – 21 per cent of workers believe they are more productive when working from home and 28 percent also believe that it is a show of trust from their boss.
However, contrary to this, 12 percent of bosses do not allow remote working – citing difficulty in managing those employees working from home. In addition, colleagues of those working remotely do not believe that the home workers are putting enough effort into their work.
Two-thirds of UK employees are allowed to work from home whilst 35 percent are still not given that option.
Analysis by the TUC shows that the number of people working from home has slowed down with one in 16 of the workforce working from home in 2016 and 2017 and with managers as the most likely to work from home - followed by Associate Professionals such as architects, engineers and designers.
The Group Marketing Director at Total Jobs - Martin Talbot, said:
“With the UK in the throes of a productivity crisis, now is the time for employers to find ways of addressing this issue. The research finds that many people work best from home, however, many employers don’t trust their team enough to work independently. Companies, as well as the wider economy, would benefit from improving embracing remote working. Our research also confirms a shift towards remote working, with an increasing number of millennials viewing the option to work remotely as a priority when looking for a new job. With news that 28% of workers would change jobs if their current employer did not offer remote working, it is more important than ever for businesses to improve their work from home offering.”
