Just 6 percent of the UK population are currently working remotely, new survey data reveals.
The data, which was commissioned by Digital Adoption and polled a nationally representative sample of over 10,000 UK residents, revealed that just one in 21 Brits (5.97%) are spending their work days in the comfort of their own homes.
Twice as many Brits are fully office-based or hybrid.
Also, one in ten (10%) are in the office each day; similarly, one in nine (11%) are working hybrid.
The poll also revealed that those who are 25-34 are most likely to be working remotely, with one in three (32%) being in this age bracket.
Also, one in four are in the 35-44 age bracket (24%), while those who are 18-24 are least likely to be remote working – with just one in 20 (5%) falling into this category.
Does location matter?
Those in the South East are most likely to be working remotely – one in five Brits (18%) with a work-from-home lifestyle reported they reside in this region. Those in Wales were least likely to be home workers, with just one in 36 (3%) able to report they are both Welsh and fully remote.
Overall, one in nine (10%) Brits are splitting their time between the office and their homes during the working week. More women than men are working hybrid, with just under one in two (62%) being female and around one in three (38%) being male.
Londoners are most likely to be working a hybrid model, far outweighing other parts of the UK. Also, one in four (23%) City-based office workers only go in a few times a week, while only one in 28 (3.5%) are doing this in the North East of England.
Rotem Gal, CEO of Digital Adoption, said:
‘These figures indicate that Brits are increasingly returning to the office, whether it is part-time or full-time. There are a few reasons why this trend could be happening.
“Recent data from the ONS indicates that there has been a 3 percent rise in loneliness across the UK since 2020. Also, 5 percent of Brits reported feeling lonely often or always in April and May 2020, and this figure had risen to 8 percent in the period of March to April 2023.
“Working in the office, full-time or at least part-time, can help to ease these feelings as you are surrounding yourself with other people and in-person conversations. Being fully remote can lead to higher levels of productivity, but there’s no replacement for conversation with colleagues in real life.
“It’s interesting that those who are aged 18 to 24 are least likely to be remote working, while the older generation is also more likely to be office-based. Again, there are a few theories as to why this pattern has emerged.
“As employers try to encourage workers back to the office in the aftermath of pandemic working patterns, those who are young and applying for their first jobs may not be given the option to work in hybrid or remote setups. However, there have also been recent studies indicating that Gen Z both value and benefit more from office environments.
“Older people may be more accustomed to being based in an office, as they would have spent decades commuting in before the pandemic. Therefore, these habits will be harder to break than those who have spent a decent portion of their professional lives working hybrid or remote.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
