Three quarters of UK office workers want more flexibility

78% of UK office workers want more flexible working arrangements to boost job satisfaction, a study by conference software provider TeamViewer has revealed.

A survey of 1,000 UK office workers found that travel expenditure and time spent away from home were key driving factors of discontent in the absence of pay increases, with 68% wanting to work from home and 50% seeking to reduce their commute.

Despite the introduction in 2003 of the right to request flexible working hours, the survey suggests that many businesses have yet to introduce a clear procedure for the approval of such requests, with 18% stating that they rarely work from home and a further 25% claiming it has never happened.

Just 26% of those surveyed were able to choose when they worked from home, with 22% requiring prior approval from a manager.

When asked about the logistics of working from home and centralized support, 55% said they would require a faster broadband connection, with 51% needing more comprehensive access to office documents and 33% wanting their employer to contribute towards utility costs.

The survey also uncovered habits and trends of home-workers in the UK, with 13% admitting to working from their beds (23% of the demographic aged 25-34) and 5% from their bathroom. A further 14% chose to work from the garden and 7% combined work with cooking.

In spite of the desire for flexible working arrangements, the survey indicated that many workers choose to maintain their routine as if they were in the office. 36% set the same times for tea and coffee breaks every day, with 35% starting at 9am sharp and 29% finishing on schedule, and 33% maintaining the same pre-work routine.

Holger Felgner, general manager at TeamViewer, said: “The findings of this survey show flexible working policies can satisfy employees seeking an improved work-life balance.”