[UK] Working from home is a ‘double-edged sword’

New research from European HR & payroll services provider SD Worx has revealed that 72 per cent of British workers perceive the ability to work from home as a key to unlocking a better work-life balance, HR News reports.

The findings - based on a survey of over 4,000 companies in the UK and across Europe- show that the appetite for working from home (WFH) in the UK (72 per cent) is creeping ahead of mainland Europe (66 per cent). Of those surveyed, UK workers cited WFH as a key consideration when working for an employer, believing it contributes to a better work-life balance. Across Europe, seven out of ten reportedly said working from home accommodates a better work-life balance, with employees in France (80 per cent), Germany (80 per cent) and Belgium (79 per cent) agreeing the most strongly.

The emphasis on WFH flexibility highlights a firm shift in workforce priorities; flexibility now reportedly rivals other key job aspects, including pay, job security and purpose.

Working from home brings new worker pain points

Potential advantages aside, however, employees are reporting challenges in terms of both well-being and working hours that are holding them back from getting the most from the remote working revolution. 63 per cent indicated that they are less inclined to call in sick – with respondents in Sweden (72 per cent), the UK (69 per cent) and Italy (67 per cent) the most likely to cite this issue. 

Almost half across Europe also admitted to working more hours in a day when at home. This applies primarily to employees in France (58 per cent), Italy (55 per cent) and Belgium (54 per cent). By contrast, Dutch (44 per cent), German (43 per cent) and Swedish (38 per cent) employees said WFH made no real difference to working hours.

Finding the right balance

Four out of ten European employees’ jobs now allow them to work from home and around half of those surveyed said they prefer to work from home two to three days a week. For 15 per cent, one day a week is enough, and just under 8 per cent want to return to working full time in the office. On the other hand, almost 14 per cent reportedly said they would like to work from home permanently, with Spanish (26 per cent), Finnish (22 per cent) and British (21 per cent) employees showing the strongest support. Friday is the most popular day for working from home (30 per cent), followed by Monday (24 per cent) and Wednesday (16 per cent).

The figures do reveal a remarkable contrast. Although 50 per cent of respondents said they would prefer to work from home two to three days a week, on average, 46 per cent of respondents considered it important to see colleagues in the workplace five days a week. The contrast suggests that employees continue to struggle with the trade-off between the advantages of working from home and the ability to enjoy the social side of work by connecting with colleagues in the workplace.

Get the most out of WFH

One in three employees (29 per cent) across Europe indicated they were open to receiving more WFH tips from their employer and more in Spain (40 per cent), Italy (34 per cent) and Norway (33 per cent). The demand for tips is more common among managers (35 per cent) than non-managers (25 per cent). With workers valuing support with WFH, employers should consider how to best support flexible working while maintaining well-being, productivity and motivation. 

Colette Philp - UK HR Country Lead at SD Worx - said, “The pandemic opened the door to working from home, bringing a host of new challenges for employers in helping workers level up to its realities.  We’re in the middle of a huge talent shortage and workers more than ever are making their demands for flexible work solutions loud and clear. We know WFH can bring enormous value to workers’ experience and overall lifestyle but we must get the balance right and look to bring added value to work, remote or otherwise. The post-pandemic job market has crystalised demand for improvements in flexibility, purpose, social connections and salary.

This requires strategic thinking and a reset in our overall approach to work and workplace culture to support workers and deliver against business goals in a tough economy. WFH is here to stay, so it’s high time for employers to ensure it works now and in the long term. We recommend developing a policy based on three pillars: productivity, connection and competence.

No two people are the same, so a one size fits all approach to HR is always destined to fail. For businesses, it will be critical to look at which groups benefit from working from home in terms of productivity, motivation and well-being. The need for contact with colleagues should never be underestimated. WFH might be here to stay but the research has an urgent call to action for employers: support workers and help them navigate the WFH pain points or risk losing them.“

Source: HR News

(Quotes via original reporting)

New research from European HR & payroll services provider SD Worx has revealed that 72 per cent of British workers perceive the ability to work from home as a key to unlocking a better work-life balance, HR News reports.

The findings - based on a survey of over 4,000 companies in the UK and across Europe- show that the appetite for working from home (WFH) in the UK (72 per cent) is creeping ahead of mainland Europe (66 per cent). Of those surveyed, UK workers cited WFH as a key consideration when working for an employer, believing it contributes to a better work-life balance. Across Europe, seven out of ten reportedly said working from home accommodates a better work-life balance, with employees in France (80 per cent), Germany (80 per cent) and Belgium (79 per cent) agreeing the most strongly.

The emphasis on WFH flexibility highlights a firm shift in workforce priorities; flexibility now reportedly rivals other key job aspects, including pay, job security and purpose.

Working from home brings new worker pain points

Potential advantages aside, however, employees are reporting challenges in terms of both well-being and working hours that are holding them back from getting the most from the remote working revolution. 63 per cent indicated that they are less inclined to call in sick – with respondents in Sweden (72 per cent), the UK (69 per cent) and Italy (67 per cent) the most likely to cite this issue. 

Almost half across Europe also admitted to working more hours in a day when at home. This applies primarily to employees in France (58 per cent), Italy (55 per cent) and Belgium (54 per cent). By contrast, Dutch (44 per cent), German (43 per cent) and Swedish (38 per cent) employees said WFH made no real difference to working hours.

Finding the right balance

Four out of ten European employees’ jobs now allow them to work from home and around half of those surveyed said they prefer to work from home two to three days a week. For 15 per cent, one day a week is enough, and just under 8 per cent want to return to working full time in the office. On the other hand, almost 14 per cent reportedly said they would like to work from home permanently, with Spanish (26 per cent), Finnish (22 per cent) and British (21 per cent) employees showing the strongest support. Friday is the most popular day for working from home (30 per cent), followed by Monday (24 per cent) and Wednesday (16 per cent).

The figures do reveal a remarkable contrast. Although 50 per cent of respondents said they would prefer to work from home two to three days a week, on average, 46 per cent of respondents considered it important to see colleagues in the workplace five days a week. The contrast suggests that employees continue to struggle with the trade-off between the advantages of working from home and the ability to enjoy the social side of work by connecting with colleagues in the workplace.

Get the most out of WFH

One in three employees (29 per cent) across Europe indicated they were open to receiving more WFH tips from their employer and more in Spain (40 per cent), Italy (34 per cent) and Norway (33 per cent). The demand for tips is more common among managers (35 per cent) than non-managers (25 per cent). With workers valuing support with WFH, employers should consider how to best support flexible working while maintaining well-being, productivity and motivation. 

Colette Philp - UK HR Country Lead at SD Worx - said, “The pandemic opened the door to working from home, bringing a host of new challenges for employers in helping workers level up to its realities.  We’re in the middle of a huge talent shortage and workers more than ever are making their demands for flexible work solutions loud and clear. We know WFH can bring enormous value to workers’ experience and overall lifestyle but we must get the balance right and look to bring added value to work, remote or otherwise. The post-pandemic job market has crystalised demand for improvements in flexibility, purpose, social connections and salary.

This requires strategic thinking and a reset in our overall approach to work and workplace culture to support workers and deliver against business goals in a tough economy. WFH is here to stay, so it’s high time for employers to ensure it works now and in the long term. We recommend developing a policy based on three pillars: productivity, connection and competence.

No two people are the same, so a one size fits all approach to HR is always destined to fail. For businesses, it will be critical to look at which groups benefit from working from home in terms of productivity, motivation and well-being. The need for contact with colleagues should never be underestimated. WFH might be here to stay but the research has an urgent call to action for employers: support workers and help them navigate the WFH pain points or risk losing them.“

Source: HR News

(Quotes via original reporting)