UK 
United States
As rail chaos continues to affect commuters across the UK, it probably comes as no surprise that many would prefer to be working from the comfort of their homes – and research from Totaljobs suggests giving workers that option could result in a hiring boon.
Nearly three in ten workers (28%) told the researchers that they would move jobs if they were not allowed to work from home - but 35% of employees are still not given the option of working remotely.
Totaljobs’s research uncovered that working from home is in the top five most important benefits when looking for a job, beating perks such as enhanced parental leave and travel allowances, and is most appreciated by women, with a quarter (24%) preferring the option of working from home than in the office compared to 16% of men.
The reasons behind employers providing workers the option to work from home varies, as 38% of employers say they do so to help employees manage their work-home balance, whereas, interestingly 24% say they do so in a bid to reduce staff sick leave.
Martin Talbot, Group Marketing Director at Totaljobs said: “With the UK in the throes of a productivity crisis, now is the time for employers to find ways of addressing this issue. The research finds that many people work best from home, however, many employers don’t trust their team enough to work independently.”
This lack of trust is shown by 15% of bosses admitting to using software to track how long employees spent on certain tasks.
“With news that 28% of workers would change jobs if their current employer did not offer remote working, it is more important than ever for businesses to improve their work from home offering,” added Talbot.
