The last few years have seen the trend for remote working really take off – ONS figures show that from September 2022 to January 2023, almost half (44%) of employees worked from home or did hybrid work.
But if you do spend some of your working week at home, are there any implications as far as insurance claims are concerned? And are we now all more at risk from insurers not paying out on home insurance claims?
More of us than ever before are working from home. The ongoing popularity of hybrid working means more employees have been given the option to work away from the office for at least part of the week. And although the number of people working from home dropped by 7% between 2021 and 2022, remote workers still account for 30% of the UK workforce.
But if you had to choose one day to work from home, which would you choose?
More than half of UK workers say they wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the money. Although that sounds obvious – most of us work because we need the money – the figure of 60% who would opt out of having a job is higher than any comparable workforce in the world.
The findings from a study by Randstad, a provider of workforce insights, back up another study that revealed almost half (46%) of all employees feel more stressed at work than they did a year ago.
So if you’ve been feeling more stressed out with work than usual lately, you’re not alone.
It seems hard to believe now, but up until a few years ago UK employees only had the right to request flexible working if there were a registered carer, had children under the age of 17, or children under the age of 18 with a registered disability.
But all that changed on June 30, 2014 when the UK’s Flexible Working Regulations were amended to allow anyone the right to request flexible working, so long as they have been with their employer for at least six months.
It looks like post-pandemic flexible working is here to stay – ONS figures show that more than 8 in 10 workers who had to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to hybrid work. If you’re considering putting in a work from home request, here’s all you need to know.
It’s probably the last thing on your mind right now, but there are only 86 days until Christmas.
And given that many of us have had to tighten our belts this year to cope with soaring inflation and the cost of everything going up, now is as good a time as any to put a budgeting plan together – not only could this see your finances in better shape by Christmas, it will set you for the year ahead in 2023.
Mental health problems are more common than you may think – figures from Mind, the mental health charity show that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
The effects of the coronavirus lockdown might even make this figure higher – being stuck between the same four walls can have a negative impact on mental health at the best of times, feelings that will be exacerbated by the pandemic ad talk of death and illness, not to mention insecurity over jobs and personal and business finance.
May 9 to 15 is Mental Health Awareness Week, a campaign designed to help encourage people to talk about mental health and address and issues head on. This year’s campaign will focus on the problem of loneliness.
It looks like we’re headed for a heatwave next week, with temperatures in London set to hit 24°C – not ideal for life in an office. If you have to endure a suffocating commute, or your packed into a crowded office for the best part of the day, then you’ll be well within your rights to complain that it’s just too hot – especially if you’re forced to wear a suit for work.
So, as an employer, is it time you implemented a summer dress code, to lighten the mood and help keep things cool as the temperature rises? And should non-customer facing staff be able to wear what they like to work in, as they can when they work from home?
Office workers are cutting their commute by an average of 2.5 days a week as part of an effort to lower their carbon footprint, shows new research from IWG, the flexible workspace solution experts. Just another reason why it’s good to work from home.
It feels like there’s been nothing but rain for the last few weeks, but March 1 officially signals the start of spring. That means its time to freshen things up with a bit of spring cleaning, including your home office.
If you run your own business, you’ll appreciate the need to save money and cut costs wherever possible – but have you ever considered flexible working as a way to cut overheads?
Maybe you were forced into remote working during the numerous lockdowns of the last couple of years and found it saved your business some much needed cash when things were tight?
Employees may even have found a better work/life balance and bank balance through working from home.
If none of this sounds familiar, then it might be time to reconsider your thoughts on remote working. Not only do the UK’s flexible working laws mean more and more workers can benefit from working from home, offering the option could be the difference between hiring and retaining the best people and having a high turnover of staff.
And before you get into a blind panic about employees not pulling their weight while at home, consider that research from the London School of Economics found those who are offered flexible working are actually happier and more productive workers. Then consider the savings you could make…