13% Brits want a four day working week and 1 in 4 want to be fully remote

With the Labour government interested in introducing a four-day working week, many are speculative about this whilst others seem very optimistic about the idea. In light of this, TonerGiant conducted a survey to discover Brits’ views on the prospect and to see how often people are currently working this routine.

The survey of 1,000 correspondents found that:

Despite 13% of Brits stating they would like to have a four-day working week, 9% currently do.
In-person working is currently the most popular work routine, making up 30% of the workforce, yet the majority (24%) of Brits would like to work fully remote.
13% of British workers aged 45-54 currently have a four day working week, making them the age group who so the most, as opposed to Millennials (aged 25-34) who do so the least.
Leeds has the highest percentage of four-day week workers, with 19% of workers currently adopting the routine, whereas only 4% of Edinburgh and Norwich have a four day work week.
18% of those working in the legal sector currently have a four day working week, making it the industry most lenient to this proposed change.

They also explored Brits’ views on hybrid working and the current working climate in the UK. The survey continued to discover that:

22% of Brits work from home for two days each week, making it the most common hybrid working routine.
81% of Brits work from home at least one day during the week, and it seems to be the more popular approach. 25% of those surveyed said they would like to take up fully remote working as opposed to just 7% who wanted to return to working in the office full time.
44% of Brits would consider leaving their job should they be asked to come into the office full time.
48% of Brits wouldn’t bother applying for a job if it required them to come into the office full time.
59% of Brits feel like they are more productive at home, whereas 17% feel more productive working in the office.
40% of Brits feel more anxious when attending in-person meetings rather than video calls.
41% of Brits feel that employees are less likely to get a promotion or pay rise if they don’t spend enough time in the office.
52% of Brits feel like their diet is better when working from home.
48% of Brits feel like they exercise more when working from home.
50% of Brits miss the social aspect of being in an office with their coworkers.
62% of Brits feel like the cost of commuting has made them not want to go into the office.
Brits’ view on COVID-19 is largely split, with 39% still having concerns whilst 41% don’t consider it to be a threat in the workplace.
64% of Brits feel like their overall quality of life has improved since working from home.

The data suggests that, overall, women are more in favour of working from home than men, as 52% would avoid applying for a full-time office role, compared to 43% of men.

Millennials seem to be the most against full-time office roles, with 51% saying that they would leave their current role if forced back in full time, compared to just 31% of those aged 55 and over.

Commenting on the findings, Stuart Deavall from TonerGiant said:

“Since the pandemic, working from home has become a staple of our work culture in the UK and it’s clear to see that it’s favoured by Brits across the board. Most noticeably, it’s intriguing to see that working from home is almost a requirement for many employees. Despite studies showing that employers struggle to trust their employees when they work from home, the majority of employees now expect a hybrid working model, so perhaps it’s time to adapt to this shift.

Working from home has its very obvious benefits. Long are the days where you need to be in the office to use your equipment. Essential office supplies, like a laptop and printing facilities, can be used from practically anywhere with a plug socket and wifi connection. This convenience seems to be a driving force as to why Brits favour the working from home lifestyle.”

TonerGiant has released the findings to find out how Brits feel about working from home. A data hub containing the full findings can be found here.