![\"Remote](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Remote-working-home-office-desk.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe pros and cons of working from home have been widely discussed and reported over the last few months, including those relating to productivity, mental health, and workplace DSE. We wanted to explore this a little further, so<\/strong> we commissioned some research to identify the challenges and benefits people have been facing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll share and discuss the results of this research. We\u2019ll also assess some of them based on regions, to see how people have been affected differently and how opinions may vary across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question of whether working from home is a viable option for businesses has been up in the air for a long time. Uncertainties around whether productivity, communication, and feeling connected as a team would be affected have often been the leading concerns, which have historically left many businesses feeling hesitant to fully adopt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, in 2020, businesses have had no choice but to test the waters of home working. As a result, many have found that they actually function just as well. In fact, from our survey, we\u2019ve identified that individual employees have overall had a positive experience with home working<\/strong>. It\u2019s no longer seen as an exceptional option, but rather a desirable one.<\/p>\n\n\n The results we received from our survey of 2000 participants reveal interesting insights into how people feel about home working and what challenges they\u2019ve faced. It\u2019s food for thought for businesses looking at home working beyond 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first question examines how people have felt about carrying out their job from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These results show that most people feel just as capable of fulfilling their role from home as they did in the office. More than a quarter believe it\u2019s even improved their productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly, London had one of the highest response rates for the \u2018More\u2019 option (38.26%, 145 respondents), as compared to other regions. Could this be a reflection of the busy nature of offices in our capital and how much workers have needed a break from it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The responses we got for another question support the above results, revealing people\u2019s capability and openness to working from home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of respondents feel they\u2019d like to work mostly from home, or even entirely from home. It\u2019s an interesting reflection of how the requirement to work from home during 2020 \u2013 and how successful it\u2019s proven for many \u2013 has led to many people leaning towards home working as their main option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking at the regional breakdown for these statistics, London once again had a response rate that showed people feel positively about working from home. They had one of the highest contributions to the answer \u2018Always work from home\u2019 with 30.08%.<\/p>\n\n\n Equally notable is that the West Midlands had a higher percentage of respondents who chose \u2018Work mostly from home\u2019 than any other region (49.33%). Meanwhile, Scotland had the most even division between the top two choices of how to work, with 32.21% for \u2018Always work from home\u2019 and 32.28% for \u2018Work mostly from home\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, though, every region\u2019s response rate for \u2018Work mostly from home\u2019 was higher than any of their other choices<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows people are interested in a split, flexible style of home working, rather than working completely at home or in the office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also interesting to assess these results alongside the answers we received to the question about mental health. It offers insight into one key reason for why people are leaning so greatly towards it, and how mental health can be affected by home working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wide-scale effect on mental health from home working has never been more closely examined than in 2020. It\u2019s been difficult to accurately measure, as current home working circumstances are exceptional and perhaps not fully reflective of how it would be without a global pandemic on people\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But many studies, including the results of our survey, have consistently revealed that working from home has mostly had positive benefits to people\u2019s mental wellbeing. <\/strong>While some people understandably struggle with the isolation and disconnect when working from home, others greatly benefit from losing their commute or busy office environment, as they gain more time to spend at home recharging and focusing on their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results for our question about mental health reveals how people feel about working from home from a wellbeing perspective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The general consensus appears to be that working from home has improved people\u2019s wellbeing, or at least stayed pretty much the same as before. Some did find that their mental health declined, but the responses overall gravitated to positive results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that improved mental health has an overall higher response rate than declined mental health is an interesting insight into the benefits of working from home, especially when considered in combination with the previous responses. People feel capable of working from home and want to keep doing so in the long term, and it\u2019s overall improving their mental health. It\u2019s good evidence that businesses should take working from home forward in the long term in some capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n It will, however, be important for businesses to consider those who do feel their mental health is negatively impacted. After all, at least a quarter of responses were for the two \u2018declined\u2019 choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All sorts of factors could be responsible for this decline. For example, feeling isolated and disconnected from their team. It could even be because they\u2019ve had to work from home full time during the pandemic, rather than part time. This could easily accentuate how disconnected they feel, especially if there aren\u2019t well-planned wellbeing check-ins in place. As our earlier responses revealed, most people want to work \u2018mostly\u2019 from home rather than \u2018always\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To achieve optimum mental health at work, it\u2019s therefore feasible that having a mix of home and office is the perfect balance that employees require.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Productivity and mental health aside, there are some physical challenges to working from home that can affect how people feel about it and how successful it will be. One in particular is people\u2019s setup and display screen equipment (DSE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most businesses, adapting to home working isn\u2019t an easy or overnight accomplishment, and 2020 has certainly put that to the test. Home working presents many logistical challenges, especially when it comes to providing people with the equipment they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having the right setup is not only vital for enabling people to physically do their work, but also for maintaining people\u2019s wellbeing. Without proper planning and provision, this could be a significant barrier to home working. <\/p>\n\n\n In our research, we asked if people had to purchase their own equipment when working from home. This helped us to identify whether they were receiving the necessary support and, if not, where common issues were arising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news from these results is that nearly half of respondents stated they did not need to purchase anything for themselves, suggesting that their company has actively provided the support they need. In fact, in the follow up question we asked, most respondents reported that they felt happy with their setup (1.60% Very unhappy, 7.05% Unhappy, 23.9% Neutral, 41.25% Happy, and 26.20% Very happy<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, many people were still having to acquire equipment on their own that should have been provided by their company if required for work. Some of the most fundamental items scored surprisingly highly, such as desks, chairs, and monitors, while important ergonomic items were also evidently not being provided to employees.<\/p>\n\n\n Not only is a proper office setup vital for ensuring people can work effectively, but it\u2019s also the law for businesses to provide equipment required for work and safety. <\/strong>This also encompasses DSE requirements for supporting their physical wellbeing, such as back and wrist support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without the right equipment, home working won\u2019t be nearly as effective as it could be. Most notably, employees could face wellbeing risks, and the company could be held responsible for this if they failed to provide the necessary supportive equipment. For example, musculoskeletal disorders<\/a> and joint strain are common issues resulting from poor DSE setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preventing these is crucial for ensuring employees can work from home effectively, comfortably, and safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Employers are responsible for health and safety risks that may arise from work when employees work from home. They must ensure employees receive the necessary equipment and that there are systems in place for monitoring their health, safety, and wellbeing on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n Likewise, employees should know how to look after themselves when working from home, and their employer should provide them with training to enable this.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\nHow Do Employees Feel About Working From Home?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Woman-typing-at-home-office-desk.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cAre you more or less capable of doing your job at home compared with in the office?\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
More:<\/strong><\/td> 26.65%<\/td><\/tr> The same:<\/strong><\/td> 59.70%<\/td><\/tr> Less:<\/strong><\/td> 13.65%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you were given the option, how would you choose to work in the future?\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Always work from home:<\/strong><\/td> 23.25%<\/td><\/tr> Work mostly from home:<\/strong><\/td> 41.35%<\/td><\/tr> Always work from the office:<\/strong><\/td> 6.40%<\/td><\/tr> Work mostly from the office:<\/strong><\/td> 10.80%<\/td><\/tr> Split evenly between home and the office:<\/strong><\/td> 16.10%<\/td><\/tr> No preference:<\/strong><\/td> 2.10%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"Home](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Home-working-office-desk.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\nHow Does Working From Home Impact on the Mental Health of Employees?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you think your mental health has improved or declined whilst working from home?\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Improved a lot <\/strong><\/td> 22.05%<\/td><\/tr> Improved a little <\/strong><\/td> 26.95%<\/td><\/tr> Declined a little <\/strong><\/td> 20.65%<\/td><\/tr> Declined a lot <\/strong><\/td> 6.15%<\/td><\/tr> Stayed the same <\/strong><\/td> 23.50%<\/td><\/tr> Prefer not to say <\/strong><\/td> 0.70%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"Cup](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Cup-of-tea-and-laptop-at-home-working-desk.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat Can Prevent Effective Home Working?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Developer](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Developer-working-remotely-at-home.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cWhat equipment have you had to purchase yourself (not supplied by your company) in order to work from home?\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Laptop riser <\/strong><\/td> 19.25%<\/td><\/tr> Desk <\/strong><\/td> 27.20%<\/td><\/tr> Chair <\/strong><\/td> 28.65%<\/td><\/tr> Monitor <\/strong><\/td> 17.30%<\/td><\/tr> Laptop <\/strong><\/td> 17.80%<\/td><\/tr> Printer <\/strong><\/td> 18.55%<\/td><\/tr> Ergonomic laptop accessories e.g. mouse \/ keyboard <\/strong><\/td> 17.10%<\/td><\/tr> Backrest <\/strong><\/td> 13.90%<\/td><\/tr> Footrest<\/strong><\/td> 12.35%<\/td><\/tr> Wrist support <\/strong><\/td> 13.00%<\/td><\/tr> None \/ nothing<\/strong><\/td> 47.25%<\/td><\/tr> Other<\/strong><\/td> 1.90%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"Worker](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Worker-relaxing-at-home-office-desk.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"expert](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/expert-tip-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nHealth and Safety for Home Workers<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/How-do-employees-feel-about-home-working-study-infographic-by-high-speed-training-scaled.jpg\")
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