Britons back teleworking despite employer resistance

Jun 14 2004 by Brian Amble Print This Article

More than three-quarters of Britons are in favour of teleworking, yet more than six out of ten complain that their employer does not offer it as an option.

Jobsite Monster.com asked 8,335 Europeans: “Do you work from home?”

More than a third (36 per cent) of all the respondents said that they did not and could not, since their employers did not allow them to. But this proportion rose to half of respondents from the UK – hardly surprising given the fact that workers in the UK endure the longest commutes and the worst transport infrastructure in Europe.

A survey earlier this year found that more than three quarters of Britons would jump at the opportunity to work from home if their employers offered it to them and that more than eight out of ten felt that having the choice to work either at home or in the office was the ideal setup.

But only a quarter of Britons in the Monster survey said that they already telecommute from home, although this is five per cent more than the European average.

Europeans were also more negative about their telecommuting experience than their British colleagues. One in seven said that it was more trouble than it was worth - more than double the number of Britons who felt the same – while the same figures emerged for those who said that the option was there but that they would rather go to the office.