Garden becomes popular working location for new homeworkers

A new study by slightly controversial technology company Huawei suggests that the garden is the hot new place from which to work. In general terms, 88% of people questioned said they want to carry on working from home at least one day a week, 60% would would prefer three days a week, and 17% are keen to be out of the office every day. On top of which, three quarters said they're happier working from home and more than half that it had improved their mental health.

But the key part is that people are now experimenting with finding new places to work. A third work from the same place each week, on average person setting up their workspace in three different places with 29% of those aged 18-24 working from at least eight or more different places each week, and what they describe rather generally as 'baby boomers' are most likely to work from the same place every day. Totting up the scores, the top ten non-office places to work are

1. Garden (37%)
2. Café (19%)
3. Friend’s house (18%)
4. Park (16%)
5. Balcony (12%)
6. Holiday destination / holiday home (10.4%)
7. Colleagues house (10%)
8. Pub (10%)
9. Beach (8.2%)
10. Gym (6%)

There is no surprise in why people said they liked working away from the office, but it's nice to have the usual reasons confirmed, viz:

• freedom in being able to schedule their own workday (53%)
• not having a dress code (47%)
• more time for household chores (42%)
• less distraction from colleagues (39%)
• video meetings are just as effective for getting the job done (87%

Image courtesy Booths Garden Studios

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