Get the technology right and flexible working could change the UK, says CLA

UK businesses could save up to £32bn a year in transport costs if the workforce of tomorrow were encouraged to work from home, according to a new study.

The survey, carried out by YouGov, found that 16 per cent of respondents would be willing to take an average of £6,900 salary cut and 42 per cent would be happy to sacrifice their company car if it meant they could live and work in their ideal location.

27 per cent would forfeit the seniority of their role and a quarter their future job progression to make their ideal work-life balance a reality.

The survey of 3,281 UK office workers also found that although 40 per cent of office workers are happy in their current work location, 39 per cent would rather live and work by the seaside, the countryside or the mountains.

Commenting on the research CLA Midlands spokesman Tim Barnes-Clay said the economy would benefit from people being able to work from wherever they choose.

"If we all worked from home two days a week rather than five, two fifths of emissions would disappear and that’s a huge amount. But for that to happen your computer at home needs to run as quickly as your computer in the office and the only way that will happen is if we get fibre-optic rolled out throughout the country.

"The Government and BT are going to roll it out to towns but they are not going to roll it out in the countryside at the moment because it’s too expensive. So we have got to find clever ways of working with Government, Rural Development Agencies and other partners to develop broadband in the countryside.

"I wouldn’t mind working from home two days as week as I would probably be more productive than being in the office five days a week," added the Market Harborough (Leics) based spokesman.