WORKPLACE businessinfomag.uk magazine 22 As many as 1.6 million homeworkers could be at risk of loneliness by 2025, when there will be 5 million self-employed people (15% of the UK workforce), one third of whom will work exclusively from home, warns flexible workspace provider Landmark Space. Its latest research on working trends suggests that the number of self-employed workers in the UK is on the rise again, following a dip during the pandemic, and is set to reach pre-pandemic levels by 2025. Over the last two decades self-employed numbers went from 3.3 million in 2001 to more than 5 million in 2019, before falling back to 4.3 million in 2022. The changing workplace Nearly one in three (32%) self-employed people work only from home, compared to 14% of employees, putting their wellbeing and career advancement at risk. Landmark Space’s analysis of different ONS surveys shows that over 30% of fulltime and part-time homeworkers feel lonely, often or permanently, citing a lack of social interaction as a challenge. Ed Cowell, CEO of Landmark Space, argues that as the amount of traditional leased office space declines due to hybrid working (Capital Economics suggests total office stock in the UK may shrink by 13% or 60 million sq ft by 2025), the role of coworking hubs will become ever more important for making professional and social connections. He said: “How can businesses retain productivity and proactivity in their team culture with fully remote working patterns on the rise? Businesses come to us saying they’re facing this dilemma and find that coworking hubs are the solution to fostering greater engagement and team spirit. These spaces become a base to host in-person meetings, especially effective for high-value activities like strategy sessions and collaborative work. The nature of coworking hubs, being surrounded by like-minded businesses, means they also facilitate networking, flexibility and creativity, essential components to Britian’s working future in a remote world.” Remote working is most prevalent in the information and communication (ICT) sector. In 2022, 56% of ICT workers said they worked remotely, up from just 15% in 2012 – an increase of 269%. Other sectors that have experienced rapid growth include the professional, scientific and technical industries, where 42% work remotely (up 222% on 2012 figures) and finance and insurance (up 436%) due in part to the rise of online banking and the closure of High Street branches. London has the highest proportion of remote workers, at 40%, according to Landmark Space’s analysis. This is reflected in self-employed/sole trader membership figures for its 33 London co-working spaces which have seen a 10% to 25% jump in the last two years. www.landmarkspace.co.uk Rising numbers of self-employed at risk of loneliness Flexible working more entrenched in UK than US UK companies are embracing flexible working to a greater extent than their US counterparts and are also more likely to choose a Structured Hybrid model with clearly defined attendance requirements, reveals the Flex Report, UK Edition – January 2024 from hybrid work planning specialist Scoop. Analysis of data from 5,000 businesses employing nearly 3 million people in the UK shows that 72% of UK employers offer work location flexibility, with 44% embracing a Structured Hybrid model. Respective figures for US employers are 62% and 28%. Key findings from Scoop’s first international Flex Index report include: n 72% of UK employers offer hybrid or fully remote work options, with just 28% requiring full-time office attendance. n 44% of UK employers have adopted a Structured Hybrid model, with clearly defined attendance requirements (e.g. minimum number of days per week – much the most common model; percentage of time each week; specific days; or a combination). n Smaller companies are more likely to offer a Fully Flexible model, where employees can choose where and when they work, or a Fully Remote model: 76% of firms with less than 50 employees offer staff Fully Flexible work compared to 17% of firms with more than 25,000 employees. n Larger companies are more likely to favour Structured Hybrid: 19% of companies with fewer than 500 employees have adopted a Structured Hybrid model, compared to 64% of firms with 25,000+ employees. n 38% of employers expect employees to spend 2-3 days in the office, 28% don’t require staff to come in at all and 28% expect people to be in the office full-time. n 50% is the amount of time the average UK employer with a Structured Hybrid arrangement expects employees to be in the office, most commonly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To read the full report and its detailed findings, please visit http://tinyurl. com/4p224a3z
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