Top 10 benefits of working from home

“Improved productivity” heads the list of the top ten benefits of working from home according to a recent survey by SD Worx UK & Ireland, one of the largest payroll providers in Europe.

According to our survey in which we asked 1,000 UK & Irish professionals what were some of the benefits of working from home, below are the results.

The top 10 benefits of working from home:

1. Higher productivity as a result of ability to work uninterrupted
2. Skill retention, greater commitment from staff
3. Happier staff, resulting in better motivation and customer service
4. Better work-life balance
5. More appealing to work in a flexible workplace
6. Lower stress, greater well-being
7. Reduced carbon footprint
8. Reduced overheads
9. Positive image for the company such as, dynamic and flexible
10. Office space and other facilities go further

Jeremy Campbell, Commercial Director at SD Worx UK & Ireland, commented:

"Our survey revealed that home working offered more benefits than pitfalls. When discussing the advantages and disadvantages of home working, we need to be aware that it may not work for all jobs and works best when colleagues use it for a part of their working week."

"In offering home working, companies are not only providing staff with flexibility but it also ensures companies focus on measuring outputs. Some managers are still on the mindset that unless they can see their people at their desks then they can’t really be working."

Home working is a powerful retention tool, and when both employee and employer take responsibility for making it work, it can have a major impact on both productivity and employee engagement. More and more companies and individuals are looking at home working as a means of managing their carbon footprint, supporting their corporate social responsibility initiatives.”

For the purposes of our survey, home-based working was defined as the practice of some employees spending at least part of their paid employment working at home on a regular basis in a role that would traditionally be expected to be office-based. Staff requesting an occasional day working from home, or representatives working ‘in the field’, were excluded from the survey.