Yahoo Finance Work from home is the new normal in the UK
More than eight out of 10 people who had to work from home during the pandemic are planning carry on doing so, at least for part of the week, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The proportion of workers who mix working from home with going into the office has risen from 13% in early February 2022 to 24% in May 2022 the ONS said.
More than 8 in 10 workers who had to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to carry on doing so at least some of the time.
Overall, the number of UK firms reporting using or intending to include homeworking as a permanent business model increased slightly from 16% in autumn 2020 to 23% in early April 2022.
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More than half (54%) of businesses in the information and communication industry said they were open to increased homeworking as part of a permanent business model in early April 2022.
This was only the case for 3% of businesses in the accommodation and food services industry, and 5% of businesses in the construction industry, which are less adaptable to homeworking.
Meanwhile the proportion of those working from home exclusively has fallen.
Around one in seven working adults (14%) worked from home exclusively between 27 April and 8 May 2022, while nearly a quarter (24%) both worked from home and travelled to work.
The data shows that those on higher salaries are more likely to mix working from home with going in to the office, as more than a third (38%) of workers earning £40,000 or more did so between 27 April and 8 May 2022.
On that same week, only 8% of those earning up to £15,000 reported working from home some of the time. Around a quarter (24%) of workers making £15,000 and £20,000 and even fewer (21%) of those earning between £20,000 and £30,000 said they had worked both from home and the office.
Only 32% of those earning between £30,000 and £40,000 reported working this way during that period.
The ONS said occupations with lower average earnings, such as gardeners, carpenters and mechanics, were less likely to be able to work from home.
Read more: Number of people working from home triples since COVID pandemic
Younger workers prefer going in to the office: just 16% of workers aged 16 to 29 years prefer working exclusively from home.
But the oldest workers prefer the convenience of working from home: only 10% those aged 70 years prefer to go into the office.
Some 78% of those who worked from home to some extent said that their work-life balance was improved, while 53% cited fewer distractions, 52% said they completed their work more quickly, and 47% said their overall wellbeing was better.
Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Hybrid working promises the best of both worlds, but as prices rise, we need to be sure it doesn’t end up delivering double the pain instead.
"It can also be a brilliant money-saver. Research in January showed that 46% of homeworkers spent less overall. While 86% said they spent more on utilities, 50% spent less on commuting by car and 40% saved on public transport.
"However, hybrid workers need to take steps to ensure they’re not accidentally ending up with the extra costs associated with both working from home and travelling into work. There’s a risk they’re paying to heat their home permanently, while also paying for public transport or parking on days they’re not travelling. If hybrid working is set to be a permanent part of your future, it’s essential to do the life admin to protect yourself.”
Watch: Boris Johnson blasts ‘WFH’ culture amid plans to axe 91,000 civil servant jobs
