More of us than ever before are working from home. The ongoing popularity of hybrid working means more employees have been given the option to work away from the office for at least part of the week. And although the number of people working from home dropped by 7% between 2021 and 2022, remote workers still account for 30% of the UK workforce.
But if you had to choose one day to work from home, which would you choose?
More than half of UK workers say they wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the money. Although that sounds obvious – most of us work because we need the money – the figure of 60% who would opt out of having a job is higher than any comparable workforce in the world.
The findings from a study by Randstad, a provider of workforce insights, back up another study that revealed almost half (46%) of all employees feel more stressed at work than they did a year ago.
So if you’ve been feeling more stressed out with work than usual lately, you’re not alone.
Back in 2016, there were more than three million workers whose commute took longer than two hours a day. The pandemic and a switch to hybrid working have changed the routine for many of us, and the latest figures from studies by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) show that average commuting times are on the up.
We all know that getting to and from work can be an inconvenience, but did you know it can actually be bad for your health?
Did you know that if you work from home, you may be able to claim tax breaks on certain bills and expenses?
Midnight on Tuesday, January 31 is the deadline for online, self-assessment tax returns – meaning that if you’re self-employed or another type of self-assessment taxpayer, you have until tomorrow night for filing your 2021-22 taxes.
If you were hoping to send in a paper tax return, you’ve missed the cut-off by a couple of months, as the deadline was October 31, 2022 – so you’ll have to get everything sorted online instead.
And while tax returns are never the top of anyone’s to-do list – anything seems preferable to sorting out your tax – if you don’t file and pay your return by the deadline, you could find yourself hit with some hefty fines.
Monday (January 16, 2023) is Blue Monday – said to be the most depressing day of the year. The reason it’s so glum? It’s the perfect storm of bad weather, post-Christmas debt levels, failing New Year’s resolutions, low motivation and distance from payday.
Although we’re no longer threatened with lockdowns, soaring energy prices and the cost of living crisis could conspire to make this one of the toughest we’ve faced.
If you work from home, your outlook can be even more gloomy as you’re stuck between the same four walls for the best part of every day, chasing invoices from work that you hoped would be paid before Christmas. If you’re suffering from work from home fatigue, our top tips to battle work from home burnout could come in handy.
Here are some top tips to help you beat the Blue Monday blues.
If your business is planning Christmas drinks and parties while getting ready for the seasonal wind-down, the atmosphere around the office will be getting very Christmassy over the next couple of weeks. But spare a thought for those freelancers who work tirelessly all year but never get to see any of the fun stuff.
OK, they don’t have to contend with the commute or the office politics, and they can work in their pyjamas should the fancy take them, but that doesn’t mean those that work from home should be left out of the festive revelry.
So, this year, why not get your freelancers involved in the festive fun?
It seems hard to believe now, but up until a few years ago UK employees only had the right to request flexible working if there were a registered carer, had children under the age of 17, or children under the age of 18 with a registered disability.
But all that changed on June 30, 2014 when the UK’s Flexible Working Regulations were amended to allow anyone the right to request flexible working, so long as they have been with their employer for at least six months.
It looks like post-pandemic flexible working is here to stay – ONS figures show that more than 8 in 10 workers who had to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to hybrid work. If you’re considering putting in a work from home request, here’s all you need to know.
Working from home has its benefits – notably, you’ll miss the daily commute but never have to miss an episode of Come Dine with Me again – it’s also filled with potential pitfalls, particularly where the conference call is concerned. Although our conference calls are simple to set up, we have no control over what goes on once the call is connected, and people’s conference call etiquette can often leave a lot to be desired.
It’s can be complicated enough when the teleconference is done over the phone; eating is out and coughs must be stifled to avoid deafening the other participants. And throwing video into equation makes things even worse as this means you actually have to get dressed for work – if only from the waist up.
If the idea of a remote conversations gives you the pip, then simply follow our three top tips to avoid conference call catastrophe…
It’s been a glorious week across most of the UK, and temperatures in London are due to hit the 30s today – far from ideal conditions for spending your day in the office.
And if you work from home, the temptation to down tools can be even greater.
So to make sure you stay at your most productive as the temperature rises, here’s how to keep your cool whether you’re working from home or the office…