This research comes from MoneySupermarket, a price comparison website, which found that the average UK worker spends £11.94 being spent on broadband bills at their employer’s benefit. The average broadband bill per month is £31.08.
Three-quarters of employees have never claimed back broadband expenses, even though 40 per cent believe their broadband bill should be eligible for expenses when used for work at home.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of company owners, board directors and director-level staff believe that the full amount for broadband should be able to be claimed as a business expense.
As well as 73 per cent of employees spending at least one hour every week working online at home, these workers could claim back this expense.
Emma Spencer, the broadband expert at MoneySuperMarket, said:
Working from home is a benefit that many UK workers enjoy, but it’s interesting to consider the tools, like broadband, that they need to do so – and the potential associated costs.
Brits are busier than ever, so with more employees working from home or checking emails during their commute, it’s unsurprising that they may need to use personal broadband or data allowances to get their work done.
If you work from home, you may need faster broadband, especially if you regularly download large files or use video conferencing, so a fibre optic package may be better for you. It’s also worth remembering that some packages have a monthly usage limit, which means once a cap is reached, you may experience slower speeds or be charged a fee for over-use. There are a number of unlimited deals available which could be worth considering if you work from home, or if you work on the go, then the best option might be a mobile broadband dongle.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
