Stay at Home Workers are on the Rise

Waking up at the crack of dawn is never an ideal situation. It’s a universal fact that no one enjoys waking up to the sound of their alarm clock and leaving the comfort of their warm bed in the mornings. As a result, more and more people are choosing to give up on travelling into London as part of their daily commute, and instead choosing to work from home instead. Therefore it is no wonder that there is a rise of stay at home workers.

Thus, you may be asking yourself the same question everyday: “Why do I keep travelling into London for a job I can do at home?” If you find yourself asking this question often, it may be time to consider the idea of working from home. Ask for a meeting with your boss to discuss working from home, or partaking in flexi working hours where you only work in the office on certain days, for example.

New research conducted has found one in seven – or 14.6% – of London’s workforce has decided to ‘do it alone’ and work from home. This is part of a growing trend where no one wants to squish into a packed train carriage on the morning and evening commute, standing at armpit height and confronting those who refuse to offer those in need of a seat.

Over the past decade, Trades Union Congress (TUC) polls have shown that a rise in ‘stay at home workers’ is the highest in the UK and is continuing to dominate. However, to become part of this niche group of workers, you need a space that will compliment your working lifestyle and you need an office that is kitted out to provide everything you need. Whether you have an entire room at your disposal to renovate into an office, or you designate space from an existing room, there are countless ways to assemble your own work zone.

The number of people who have chosen to work from home has increased by more than 800,000 since 2005 and now sits at 4,218,699. Though employment has increased, stay at home workers have increased from 12% of the workforce in 2005 to 13.7% in 2015. The TUC and the ONS Labour Force Survey estimate that 1.8 million would love to join those who work from home. London has seen the greatest growth in number of stay at home workers, and is disproportionately taken up by men, sitting at 62.8%. Men have always outnumbered women in self-employment as more than two-thirds of workers are men.

Though the trend is rising, homeworkers in the public sector is less common, with only 8% in health and 7.1% in education working from home. Private sectors seem to have a greater majority of those who work from home and those who do are generally associated with occupational seniority as one in five managers work from home, a staggering 20% of homeworkers.

A quote taken from the General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, of the TUC has said:

With substantial developments in technology, working from home can be just as quick as working from your head office. Therefore it is no wonder that there has been a rise of stay at home workers, when technology makes accessing documents and communicating with other colleagues simple.

Be inspired by the space in your home to create the perfect workspace you need. If you love the tranquility of your own garden, consider building a garden office. You do not need planning permission for an office outside as long as it is not plumbed and in a conservation area. Building an office outside can provide you with a space to work separate from your home life.

Paul Lintott, an associate director of estate agents John D Wood says you “could easily put up a home office in the garden, so they are unlikely to pay much more for a property with one already constructed” So, if you have some spare money, consider creating your very own office room in your garden, which can help your property to sell quick later down the line when you choose to market your property.

Make it as bright, creative or as cosy as you want – it’s entirely up to you! What style would you go for?

Feature image credit: Photographee.eu / Shutterstock