Megatrends: Working from home – what’s driving the rise in remote working?

The coronavirus outbreak has thrown a sharp spotlight on homeworking, as many organisations and their employees turn to this as a way to maintain operations at this time. Current circumstances aside, enabling employees to work from home has many benefits. As a key component of flexible working, it helps organisations attract top talent, increase diversity and improve employee well-being. Remote working supports business continuity, allowing an agile response to unexpected challenges.

In the past two decades, the number of people working mainly from home has increased significantly. Major contributors to this shift include technological advancements – the transition to digital has enabled more flexible ways of working – and the world’s ageing population. Studies have shown that older workers are more likely to work exclusively from home.

However, there remain cultural and practical barriers to the implementation of homeworking. This report helps to inform policy-makers and employers to facilitate and support remote working on a wider scale.

While these findings are based on UK data, the broader trends and implications should be of interest wherever you are based.

Download the report