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One in six workers in the East of England strike business deal while sunbathing

Some 80 per cent of people in the East of England find they produce a better quality of work when working from home, and 15 per cent have struck a business deal while sunbathing in the garden, according to research revealed today by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

The research, carried out for EEDA’s takeITon IT adoption campaign, coincides with National Work at Home Day on Thursday 15th May. By supporting the day, EEDA is aiming to raise awareness amongst businesses of the benefits of working from home, dispel any misconceptions, and encourage businesses to use ICT to enable mobile, flexible and home working.

Whilst the results clearly show that people actually tend to be more productive when working from home, some 33 per cent of people believe that their colleagues must think they are skiving when they work from home, and 61 per cent believe people who work from home, work less hard than if they were in the office.

• 90 per cent said that working from home helped them to achieve a better work life balance
• 80 per cent said they were more able to complete projects without interruption.
• One in five people claim to have struck a business deal in their pyjamas
• Almost two-thirds (64%) said they were more likely to have a moment of inspiration or breakthrough when out of the office.

The research revealed that three-quarters of people in the East of England wish they could work from home sometimes or all of the time, yet only 16 per cent have asked their employers about home-working opportunities. One common reason preventing people from working from home was that they were not equipped to do so.

To help overcome these challenges, and to coincide with National Work from home day, the takeITon campaign has produced a Business IT Guide Starter Pack for Home Workers containing practical information and tips on working from home.

Find out more about the takeITon Guide to Home Working

Step 1 — Setting up a Home Office
Assess your home environment for its suitability as a working environment. Put in place the necessary safe and secure IT infrastructure in support of your home business

Step 2 — Collaborating with other home workers
Plan how you will be working with co-workers, suppliers and customers. Agree on a standard technology that you will be using to share data

Step 3 — Online discussions
Consider how instant messaging could help in your communications. Investigate instant messaging suppliers and download appropriate software

Step 4 — Online sharing of documents.
Understand your document sharing needs Research the various suppliers of collaboration software. Install and configure appropriate sharing technology

Peter McCarthy-Ward, EEDA board member, said:

“Home-working can have many benefits for both individuals and businesses. In some cases employees have claimed it makes them more loyal to their firm, and the personal benefits often encourage increased productivity. Also, by avoiding a commute into the office, employers can implement significant cost savings and efficiencies”

“The takeITon campaign aims to encourage and support employers in using ICT to enable home and flexible working. Businesses can download a free guide to home-working from the takeITon website, and they can also request a free consultation with a specialist Business Link IT adviser to help them get started.”

Are you ready to takeIThome?

Find out more about the takeITon Guide to Home Working