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18 Working From Home Statistics and Trends in the UK: 2024 Update

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Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.

Working from home has become prevalent in the UK since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. People transitioned to sitting in their home offices as a precautionary measure against the virus. The situation was the same in almost every part of the world.

Recently, we saw an emerging trend among UK employees called “hybrid working,” which divides the work between the physical office and home. So, what is the current work-from-home situation in the UK after the pandemic? Are people returning to offices, or is the number of work-from-home employees increasing? Is the future bright for hybrid working?

Below, we discuss 18 working-from-home statistics and trends in the UK with sections for during, after, and futuristic pandemic-related situations.

Click below to jump ahead:

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The 18 Working From Home Statistics

  1. As of April 2020, around 50% of people in the UK were working from home.
  2. In a 2020 survey, 40% of respondents had positive perceptions about working from home.
  3. In a 2020 survey, 50 of the largest employers in the UK reported that they’re not planning to return to full-time in-house sitting anytime soon.
  4. A 2021 survey reported 21% of participants never wanted to work from home in 2022.
  5. People aged 16 to 24 favored working from the office full time in 2020.
  6. 85% of employees working from home in 2021 wanted a hybrid model to work in the future.
  7. From April to May 2022, 38% of employees making £40,000 or more and 32% earning between £30,000 and £40,000 were working hybrid.
  8. 78% of employees in the UK working from home reported an improved work-life balance.
  9. In 2020 and 2021, more than 3 million people claimed to work from home tax relief.
  10. 59% of employees in the UK prefer to work in a hybrid model in the future.
  11. Post-pandemic, workers in the UK are going to the office only 1.4 days per week on average.
  12. In 2022, 14% of employees will work from home, while 24% will work both from home and the office.
  13. In 2020, around 41% of employees working from home said their productivity remained the same before and after the pandemic.
  14. In 2020, about 65.5% of employees whose productivity increased with working from home wanted to work at home in the future.
  15. In 2020, 30% of employees in the UK worked more hours at home than from the office.
  16. In 2021, 81% of young workers feared isolation with the complete work-from-home model.
  17. Almost 30% of organizations in the UK introduced resources to support their employee’s mental and physical well-being when working from home.
  18. 60% of UK employees felt less connected to their colleagues due to working from home.
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divider 4 Working From Home During the Pandemic in the UK

1. As of April 2020, around 50% of people in the UK were working from home.

(Office for National Statistics)

The work-from-home model became instantly popular in the UK workforce just as the pandemic started. Almost half of the total employees began working from home in 2020.

Of these employees, 86% said they did so because of the pandemic-induced health concerns. About 47.5% of women were likely to prefer to work from home, while 45.7% of employees working from home were men.

man working from home starting at his computer_Jumpstory


2. In a 2020 survey, 40% of respondents had positive perceptions about working from home.

(Center for Economic Policy Research CEPR)

Nearly half of the employees felt optimistic about working from home just as the government imposed the lockdown in 2020. However, 5% of the survey respondents had negative perceptions about the work-from-home model.

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Working From Home After the Pandemic

3. In a 2020 survey, 50 of the largest employers in the UK reported that they’re not planning to return to full-time in-house sitting anytime soon.

(BBC News)

BBC News surveyed 50 renowned employers in the UK from diverse niches, including banks and retailers, to know when the employees will return to the office. Some 24 firms said they didn’t have such plans, while 20 opened their physical workplaces for employees who couldn’t work from home.

The primary reason behind this trend was the lack of resources to fulfill the social distancing protocol for a large employee pool.

Young people with face masks back at work in office after lockdown.
Image Credit: Ground Picture, Shutterstock

4. A 2021 survey reported 21% of participants never want to work from home in 2022.

(Center for Economic Policy Research CEPR)

In 2021, a small number of survey participants refused to work from home the following year. Furthermore, 19% of respondents also reported that they want to work from home 5 days a week.


5. People aged 16 to 24 favored working from the office full time in 2020.

(Tech Talk)

There was an inconsistent trend among the employees when they were asked whether they wanted to work in the future or not. While the young employee pool was more willing to work from the office full time, people aged 55 were willing to work from home for the rest of their lives.

woman using her laptop in bed


6. 85% of employees working from home in 2021 wanted a hybrid model to work in the future.

(Office for National Statistics)

The governmental statistics collected in 2021 went in favor of the hybrid model. With a massive majority of 85%, home-working employees wanted to shift to the hybrid approach.


7. From April to May 2022, 38% of employees making £40,000 or more and 32% earning between £30,000 and £40,000 were working hybrid.

(Office for National Statistics)

According to the latest work-from-home trends collected by the Office for National Statistics, high-income earners are more willing to work hybrid than low-income earners. The ratio for high-income earners (above £40,000) was 6% higher than for low-income earners (between £30,000 and £40,000).

Young people with face masks back at work or school in office after lockdown.
Image Credit: Ground Picture, Shutterstock

8. 78% of employees in the UK working from home reported an improved work-life balance.

(Office for National Statistics)

In 2022, working from home brought positive changes among employees in the UK. Almost two-thirds of the surveyed individuals reported improved personal and professional life balance. Additionally, 47% of workers experienced better health while working from home.


9. In 2020 and 2021, more than 3 million people claimed to work from home tax relief.

(GOV.UK)

Because of the pandemic, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reported 3 million tax relief claims. However, more than 550,000 employees claimed tax relief and are already benefiting from it. These figures are from 2021 to 2022.

woman filling income tax form
Image Credit: chayanuphol, Shutterstock

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The Future of Working From Home

10. 59% of employees in the UK prefer to work in a hybrid model in the future.

(Center for Economic Policy Research CEPR)

The future of work-from-home is likely to be the hybrid model. With almost 60% of employees preferring the model over completing work from home, the UK will show more adaptability to hybrid modeling.

Comparatively, 47% of American employees are willing to work in a hybrid model in 2022 (SIEPR). That’s almost 12% less than the UK employees.


11. Post-pandemic, workers in the UK go to the office only 1.4 days per week on average.

(BBC News)

The past couple of years has seen a significant fluctuation among UK employees towards working from home, especially on Fridays. Only 13% of workers go to the office on Fridays, while the rest prefer working from home.

On average, employees go to the office only 1.4 days a week post-pandemic. This figure was 3.8 days a week before the pandemic. The primary reason for this trend is that many bosses want to offer flexibility to workers for better employee retention and acquisition, considering the talent shortage.

interior of a busy office
Image Credit: Monkey Business Images, Shutterstock

12. In 2022, 14% of the employees work from home, while 24% work from home and the office.

(Office for National Statistics)

The ratio of people preferring the hybrid model over working from home has considerably increased in 2022. Almost 25% of employees are working from home and the office this year, which is expected to increase even more.

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Productivity of Work-From-Home Employees

13. In 2020, around 41% of employees working from home said their productivity remained the same before and after the pandemic.

(Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data WISERD)

While the work-from-home model was widely embraced among employees, nearly half experienced no difference in productivity in 2020. However, 28.9% of employees reported doing more work when working from home, while 30.2% said their productivity had decreased.

woman using her laptop
Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels

14. In 2020, about 65.5% of employees whose productivity increased with working from home wanted to work at home in the future.

(Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data WISERD)

Working from home is not the best choice for everyone, but many employees experience exceptional results. In 2020, these employees wanted to keep working from home in the future too. Around 65.5% of employees said they did more work per hour than they used to do in the office.


15. In 2020, 30% of employees in the UK worked more hours at home than from the office.

(Microsoft Surface)

Many employees experienced a significant boost in their productivity during the 2020 lockdown. For example, almost 30% reported a rise in the number of hours they worked at home. This means they concentrated better on their work from home.

man checking his investments on his laptop
Image Credit: Windows, Unsplash

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Mental Health of Work-From-Home Employees

16. In 2021, 81% of young workers feared isolation with the complete work-from-home model.

(HR News)

A 2021 survey found loneliness the biggest fear among younger employees when working from home. About 81% of these employees said that completing office time will make them more isolated. This figure was 64% among employees aged 35 or above.


17. Almost 30% of organizations in the UK introduced resources to support their employee’s mental and physical well-being when working from home.

(Microsoft Surface)

To make the work-from-home model widely accepted, around 30% of companies in the UK developed programs to support their employee’s mental and physical well-being. As a result, more than half (56%) of employees reported high happiness levels when working from home.

smiling woman using laptop
Image Credit: Dean Drobot, Shutterstock

18. 60% of UK employees felt less connected to their colleagues due to working from home.

Despite the efforts of UK businesses, the work-from-home model was still not positively perceived among a large employee group. The reason was mainly a lack of communication. Almost 48% of employees said they must communicate more to show their value.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Working From Home in the UK

Is Working From Home Here to Stay in the UK?

Hybrid work is undoubtedly here to stay in the UK. As employees expect more flexibility from employers, businesses must provide it to retain their workforce and acquire fresh talent (HR News).


Has Working From Home Increased Productivity in the UK?

Working from home has not only increased employees’ productivity in the UK but also ensured their well-being. More employees have reported better mental health and a balanced personal and professional life. Several studies have also found that employees working from home reported less stress, better work quality, and higher efficiency.

woman working on her laptop with her dog
Image Credit: ImYanis, Shutterstock

Is the UK’s Staff Happier Working From Home?

The UK’s staff seems happier working from home. With sufficient resources provided by the employers, almost 56% of the work-from-home employees in the country reported high levels of happiness and satisfaction.

Generally, the level of happiness fluctuates among different types of employment, with full-time office workers being the least satisfied and fully remote workers the most satisfied (Microsoft Surface).


Is the Hybrid Model More Popular Than Working From Home?

Over the past couple of years, the percentage of workers preferring the hybrid work model has increased from 13% in 2022. But, comparatively, work-from-home employees have fallen from 22% to 14% from February 2022 to May 2022 (Office for National Statistics).


Are People Working From Home on Fridays in the UK?

Friday has become an unofficial remote working day in the UK, with only 13% of people going to the physical office (BBC News).

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Conclusion

Summing up the above working-from-home statistics and trends in the UK, the work-from-home model is definitely going to stay in the country. More and more people are now expecting work-hour flexibility from their employers.

Considering the upcoming talent shortage, businesses need to offer resources to their employees that support the work-from-home or hybrid working model. That’s the only way to retain the existing employee pool and acquire new ones!


Featured Image Credit: Marek Levak, Pexels

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