Summertime may be fun for the kids when school’s out, but for home workers it can lead to days filled with noise and distractions.
With an ever-growing number of the UK workforce operating from home offices, the summer holidays can be a cause of stress instead of a time for rest and relaxation for working parents, a new survey has found.
The 2019 Global Workspace Survey, conducted by flexible workspace provider, IWG, has revealed that interruptions from children or other family members is the number one obstacle being faced by professionals who take advantage of home working.
The study of over 2,000 respondents from the UK found that 65 percent are distracted by family demanding attention when they work from home. The second most common complaint is having professional calls interrupted by children, family, and pets (49 percent).
The third hindrance is a slow or unreliable internet connection (45 percent), followed by problems accessing typical office equipment such as printers and photocopiers. The fifth problem for home-based professionals is the temptation to have a television on in the background to provide “company” during the day, leading to further distractions.
A spokesperson for IWG said: “Increasingly, businesses are providing their employees with the option to decide where, when and how they would like to work and there are benefits on both sides of the exchange. Flexibility not only makes workers happier and healthier, but it can also have a direct impact on the health of a business, with 82 percent of organisations reporting a significant increase in the productivity of their workforce as a result.
“Location is a key factor in determining how easily workers can pivot between work and home life – particularly for parents in the summer holidays. According to IWG, a rise in flexible working could save individuals nationwide 115 hours of commuting time per annum – the equivalent to 14 million days spent at work. With nearly half of Brits (41 percent) citing commuting as the worst part of their day, working closer to home is an increasingly favoured option.”