Working from home boosts self-employed flexibility and productivity

Remote working in garden offices and in the home generally boosts flexibility and productivity among the self-employed, new research by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) and People Per Hour suggests.

The report found that freelancers overwhelmingly viewed remote working positively, with nine out of ten working remotely at some point in the last year. Self-employed people cited many advantages to remote working - 55 per cent included the fact that it gave them greater flexibility, 34 per cent said it made them more productive, 43 per cent said it saved them time, and 41 per cent said it improved their work-life balance.

The report also found, however, that remote working can pose some challenges for the self-employed. Encouragingly, one in five people said they had not experienced any disadvantages of self-employment. The rest, when asked to name the three top disadvantages, cited difficulties communicating with clients (27%), difficulties getting regular feedback (27%), loneliness (19%), disconnectedness (19%) and not feeling part of the team (26%).

To combat the challenges of remote working, the report recommended:

* Roll out superfast broadband across the UK - 78 per cent said reliable broadband was the most important requirement for remote working.

* Promote co-working spaces - two thirds of people said they had not used a co-working space but some research indicates that they can be helpful in combatting isolation and loneliness. 

* Promote more client support - Government should explore ways to make sure remote workers have access to the networks and communications channels they need to work effectively off-site.

Chloé Jepps, IPSE’s Deputy Head of Research, commented: “This research shows what an important advantage remote working is for the self-employed, improving everything from flexibility to productivity. Government should strive to ensure this remains a positive way of working for everyone – not only by promoting co-working spaces across the country, but also by guaranteeing reliable broadband and making sure clients understand the needs of their self-employed remote workers.”

Image courtesy Arctic Cabins
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