Most Brits see remote and office workers as equally professional – and for good reason

Around 1.5 million Brits already work remotely. In fact, thanks to its wide-ranging benefits, Brits are much more accepting of remote work than we might think

Most Brits see remote and office workers as equally professional – and for good reason

It’s time for all British businesses to seriously consider offering flexible work arrangements for employees, especially as the majority of Brits consider remote and office-based workers as just as professional as each other. If you’re a business owner trying to understand this changing corporate landscape, let’s dive straight into the numbers showing why remote roles will almost certainly benefit your business in the long run.

Why does the majority of the country want to work remotely?

When asked, 59.3% of 151 owners and office workers surveyed by eReceptionist, the virtual call provider, would be interested in a remote working role. Interestingly, when asked which benefits associated with remote work appealed to them the most 48.4% selected “the freedom to create my own work schedule”, making it the top ranking benefit. 

This is contrary to the media’s common portrayal of remote work being an excuse for low-cost living abroad. Indeed, “the ability to travel” gained the least amount of votes at only 26.1%. Clearly, for most Brits the allure of going remote is more about independence than a never-ending gap year. 

So if your company has been put off offering flexible work from the thought of hiring adventure-seekers more focused on travel than their workload, this is a foolish assumption to make. Remote workers are in fact more committed to their career because controlling their schedule and work culture is of utmost importance to them.

What’s to blame for Britain’s lack of remote roles?

If 59.3% of respondents seek to go remote but only 1.6 million of Brits regularly worked from home in 2017, according to the Trade Union Congress, there must be some serious obstacles to leaving the office behind. 

Well, 35.6% cited “the availability of remote roles” as the biggest barrier to mobile working, making it the most common answer out of six options and directly pinpoints British businesses as the problem.

Far fewer participants thought their own ability to score remote roles was the issue, with only 16.7% of people listing “required expertise, skills and knowledge” as a barrier.

It makes sense, since the majority of British companies are still operating in a traditional nine-to-five manner. Although, it should be mentioned some UK firms are entirely mobile, like Exposure Ninja, the digital marketing agency, which only hires on a flexible basis.

Don’t panic about professionalism or suitability

When the phrase “remote workers” is uttered, does the word professional come to mind? Perhaps not. With articles such as 10 Jobs You Can Do in Your Jammies from Mashable dominating search engines, it’s no wonder some might think of mo-bile employees as lazy tricksters who take business meetings in bed. However, it seems the general population isn’t so easily fooled. 

When asked whether remote or corporate workers are more professional, a staggering 77.5% of respondents voted both are equal. Perhaps even more surprisingly, 8.3% voted remote staff as more professional than those working from the office. 

Although, it doesn’t necessarily make them think a home-based office is as equipped as a skyscraper, as 28.1% agreed “a corporate work environment is more suitable.” But despite this, 61.4% took the view that “both environments are equally suitable”. 

New studies on remote work like this one are being conducted every day and the vast majority show the positive impact it has for businesses involved. If you heed their advice, ultimately your company will benefit from a far more productive and harmonious workforce. 

This article comes courtesy of eReceptionist, the virtual call provider

 

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