Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Working from homeFlexible workingWork-life balance

One in seven now working from home

by Clare Allerton 5 Jun 2015
by Clare Allerton 5 Jun 2015 45% more women are working from home now than in 2005.
45% more women are working from home now than in 2005.

The number of people working from home has increased to almost one in seven over the past decade, according to the TUC.

The union body’s analysis of the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey shows that, while the total number of people in employment has increased over the past 10 years, this has been outstripped by the growth in working from home, which has increased by 800,000 to more than four million employees in 2015 (or 13.7% of the workforce).

Working from home resources

Working from home: Line manager briefing

Working from home – model policy

It estimates that a further 1.8 million people would work from home if they were given the opportunity.

Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said: “These figures show millions of British workers have adopted homeworking and are enjoying a better work-life balance, while saving time and money on costly commuting that benefits no one.”

The findings show that 62.8% of homeworkers are male, partly because more men are self-employed. But women are catching up, with 45% more women working from home in 2015 than in 2005. The number of men increased by 13.5%.

Working from home is also strongly associated with occupational seniority, with just over one manager in five (20.1%) able to do it frequently.

The South-West has the highest percentage (18.3%) of homeworkers, while Northern Ireland (9%) and Scotland (10.1%) had the lowest proportions. London has seen the greatest growth over the past decade, with the proportion rising from 12.2% to 14.6%.

The information and communications industry is above average, with 17.7% working from home, while the professional, scientific and technical (16%) and real estate sector (14.4%) also perform well.

Working from home is less common in sectors where face-to-face contact is a more integral part of the job. For example, in the public sector, just 8% of employees in health and 7.1% in education are able to work from home. Only 7% of retail employees regularly work at home.

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, commented: “While there has been a significant increase in regular homeworking since 2005, clearly more needs to be done to convince some employers that implementing new working practices can result in a win-win situation for both their business and their employees.

“Many organisations have already woken up to the fact that they can attract and retain talented staff by offering a flexible approach to work, and that a healthy work-life balance contributes to individual motivation and performance, business success and growth.”

The findings were timed to coincide with the tenth National Work from Home Day, organised by Work Wise UK.

Avatar
Clare Allerton

Clare Allerton joined XpertHR in 2014 and is now a senior production editor. She has more than 12 years’ experience of legal editing and previously worked on a variety of online and print publications dealing with family, property, tax and employment law issues.

previous post
How occupational health can support older workers
next post
The six most competitive sectors in the UK

4 comments

Work from home: Franchises for under 5k 14 Jul 2016 - 8:36 am

[…] and feel happier, with lower stress levels, so it’s no wonder that one in seven adults in the UK work from home. The following franchises allow you to run your business from home, without breaking the bank to do […]

Why Starting Your Own B&B Is A Sensible Career Move - Digital Connect Mag 20 Oct 2016 - 11:53 am

[…] One in seven people in the UK now work from home, and the benefits speak for themselves. As well as avoiding the daily commute to work, you can save money on unnecessary expenses, spend more time with your family and be closer to local amenities. For B&B owners, the unconventional nature of the job makes working from home more comfortable. You’ll be able to retreat to your private quarters whenever you want to, and you won’t need to worry about the morning rush hour! […]

Create an Office Space in Your Home - eOffice - Coworking, Office Design, Workplace Technology & Innovation 23 Mar 2017 - 6:14 pm

[…] one in seven people now working from home, creating your own office space is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity. What’s […]

Terkuak, Inilah 7 Manfaat Mandi Air Dingin Untuk Kulit dan Tubuhmu 13 Apr 2017 - 3:51 am

[…] personneltoday.com […]

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Monkeypox advice for employers: working from home and...

26 May 2022

Davos 2022: Upskilling workers necessary to overcome business...

26 May 2022

Burnout afflicts finance sector despite hybrid working

26 May 2022

Maternity leave: Cost of living crisis highlights need...

25 May 2022

Employees resigning in 2022: Survey shows ‘great resignation’...

24 May 2022

Hybrid working trends: ONS data on where people...

23 May 2022

Adapt culture to hybrid work: do not force...

20 May 2022

Working from home statistics show three-fold increase

20 May 2022

Lack of flexibility pushes half of women to...

16 May 2022

Rees-Mogg under fire from civil service leader over...

13 May 2022
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+