Where and how we work has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Rightly so – when you consider that for the average worker, nearly 30% of their waking hours are spent at work each week. The near-overnight shift to remote and hybrid working that occurred for many of us during the pandemic completely changed our attitudes and policies around remote work. So, what is the current picture of remote work in the UK, and what happens next?
Where we are now: levels of remote working in 2023
In their latest release (up to January 2023), the Office for National Statistics reported that 44% of UK workers had worked remotely at least one day in the past week. Of this, 28% worked a hybrid model (a mix of home and office) and 16% worked exclusively from home. Compare this to figures for 2019, when just 17% of UK workers had worked from home at any point in the previous week. This is a phenomenal increase in remote working in just three years and represents a dramatic shift for employers and employees.
The continued popularity of remote working
Government Covid-19 guidance on working from home was lifted in England, Wales, and Scotland during the summer of 2021, meaning workers could return to the office. So, why is it that nearly two years on, remote working remains so high?
In one word – flexibility. Flexible scheduling was the number one benefit given by workers in a recent survey of why they preferred remote working. Home-working enables UK workers to spend more time with their families, balance caring and childcare responsibilities and cut out the high cost and time burden of the daily commute.
We place a high value on this better work-life balance too. 66% of UK workers would choose the ability to work from anywhere over a promotion and nearly half would take a pay cut to be able to work remotely, according to a survey by Ivanti. So, what does this mean for business owners?
The opportunities for businesses from remote working
Discussion of remote work often focuses on the advantages for workers, however, there are benefits to business and opportunities too. Contented, motivated workers are undoubtedly an asset to a business. But savvy CEOs can take this further and make this flexible work offering a competitive advantage. A shift to more remote patterns also facilitates different ways of contracting work, some of which offer cost and efficiency savings. Here we explore two opportunities for businesses from remote working.
Opportunity one: remote working and retention
Attracting and retaining high-quality employees is one of the core challenges faced by UK businesses. Recruitment processes can be expensive, time-consuming, and frequently unsuccessful. Even after securing a new employee, there are often high initial time and monetary costs in training, upskilling, and adjustment to the new role. It’s no surprise then that it’s more economical for businesses to retain existing employees rather than try and recruit new ones. Where recruitment is unavoidable, businesses often find themselves in fierce competition to attract the best talent.
Offering flexible working policies, with remote or hybrid working, can give businesses an advantage in the competitive marketplace for skilled workers. For many CEOs, this should be a strong motivator to continue offering remote working for the foreseeable future.
Opportunity two: outsourcing and using virtual business support firms
The recent trend towards increased home-working has led to changes in both policy and technology. The use of teleconferencing (Zoom, Teams, etc) and shared project management and team communication tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack are now widespread. Add to this easy document storage and sharing with Google Drive, Sharepoint, and Dropbox, alongside more tailored document transfer and approval tools, and the virtual office set-up is well supported.
This presents businesses with another opportunity – outsourcing and the use of virtual business support firms. Outsourcing can help to bypass traditional recruitment and retention challenges by contracting tasks to virtual business support firms. Using virtual PAs, for instance, enables firms to have tasks like minute-taking, inbox management, event management, and document work undertaken remotely. This can be done on a contract basis, sparing the business from on-costs like office space and equipment, pension and NI contributions, holiday pay and sick pay. By using a virtual business support firm, companies can be flexible with the amount of support they use each month compared to the fixed cost of an employee.
Some firms may even decide to move to fully virtual models of working, removing the need for costly office premises and utilising both permanent and virtual staff. These shifts can help businesses to reduce operating costs and therefore increase profits.
What next for remote working in the UK?
We think remote and hybrid working is here to stay and that the number of remote workers will increase in the future, albeit at a slower pace than in the last few years. The benefits to employees and business owners of a more flexible work life have been tried and tested and for the most part, enjoyed. Whilst some jobs are always going to require time in the workplace, for many, a hybrid or even fully remote set-up is entirely viable. As we move further down this path, businesses will have a role to play in addressing any pitfalls that arise in both productivity and employee welfare (including concerns over loneliness and the struggle to switch off). However, improvements in technology and continued familiarity with this new way of working are only likely to further fuel the shift to remote work.
Interested in outsourcing and virtual business support?
To discover the benefits of virtual business support, contact our founder, Amanda. You’ll be able to discuss your business needs and we’ll identify how we can best support you.
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