There is evidence that our economy could be driven from our front rooms, as latest figures have suggested that working from home is at an all time high, with over a quarter of the workforce sometimes working from home, and 851,000 (3%) Brits working from home full time almost double since 1996. Over a third (35%) have revealed that their ideal job would offer them the option to work from home.
Almost a quarter of people (21%) say their work/life balance is the thing they dislike the most about their job, one in ten (11%) hate their working hours, and for 15% a long commute tops the list of complaints2. Working from home provides solutions to these common workplace gripes, but can also have added benefits, as one in ten (8%) admit to working in their pyjamas whilst over a quarter (27%) have taken a business call in the bath!
However, for people living in rural areas of Britain, working from home is often not a possibility. Almost half (41%) of people living in rural areas are unlikely to receive broadband speeds that meet the Government s minimum target meaning that long commutes and inflexible working hours remain a common problem. The majority of home workers are people who have taken the plunge and decided to set up their own business these people are regenerators for rural economy and slow internet speeds can hold back business growth and development.