To hell with getting a pay raise – many Brits say they would rather just be able to work at home in peace and quiet, a new research study says.
And it’s not just a few blokes and birds who share this sentiment, either. Sure there’s always those misanthropes and introverts who like to live a live of solitude – and become a freelancer or an umbrella company contractor in order to manage that – but this new survey says that more than seven million workers in the UK would take the opportunity to work from home over earning a higher salary.
Seems almost unreal, doesn’t it? I guess it goes to show you just how important that work-life balance is to Brits in the workforce. Honestly, some two out of every three survey respondents to the survey said they were much more productive when they could simply work from home, far from any distractions. Further, 64 per cent of workers said that being able to leave off going to the office made it easier for them to build their day around their own personal needs.
These figures, which were gathered by the University of Sheffield in conjunction with a major comparison website, aren’t anything to sneeze at if you ask me. Older workers over the age of 45 were overwhelmingly in favour of getting out of the office and staying out, as 73 per cent of those in that age demographic said they felt much more motivated when they were free of a traditional working environment. Compare that to just the 30 per cent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 who felt the same and it’s obvious that age and experience trump youthful exuberance more than twice over.
Between being less stressed using a home office (65 per cent) and feeling generally happier safe at home away from yammering bosses and insipid co-workers (77 per cent), it seems that over-45s are absolutely sick and tired of working in office settings. Honestly can you blame them? Office work is truly a special type of hell best reserved for those who have done horrid things in their lives, like rape, murder and voting UKIP. If I was stuck in an office and I had the opportunity to work from home I would take it – even if it meant taking a massive pay cut. If that’s the price of not having to see my bastard co-workers every day, I’d gladly pay.
