Remote working: Freedom and flexibility for the self-employed

Our research shows the vast majority (87%) of self-employed people have worked remotely in the last 12 months. In fact, they work remotely for an average of 62 per cent of their typical week. This is much higher than for employees: a recent TUC analysis showed that only six per cent of UK employees regularly worked from home in 2017⁷.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not just millennials who work remotely. Our research showed that respondents over 55 were actually more likely to have done so in the last 12 months (86%) than younger respondents (80%).

An overwhelming majority (97%) of those who reported working remotely in the last 12 months worked from home, at least occasionally. And for half of these (52%) it was in a place not specifically designed for work. This builds on previous research that indicates that remote working can play a large part in blurring work and home life⁸.

 

 

Remote working can mean a variety of different things for self-employed people and for most it is not fixed to one location. This flexibility to choose where and when they work is one of the key things that attracts people to self-employment. In fact, only 26 per cent of respondents stated that they always worked in one space. For others it was a mixture of locations, including working from home, in a public space (32%), at a workhub (13%), or while travelling (24%). In addition to working remotely, more than half of respondents (57%) also reported working from their client’s premises at least occasionally with a third doing so most of the time.

There is also some variation in preferred working locations between gender groups, with women working from home more often than men. This fact might relate to the rise in the number of freelance working mums, the number of whom almost doubled between 2008 and 2018. In fact, the number of freelance mothers rose by ten per cent in the last year alone⁹. Freelancing allows mothers to pursue their career without stopping them spending time with their family. Through freelancing, they can therefore achieve a balance between their work and family life that simply was not possible half a century ago.

Those who work remotely reported spending an average of 62 per cent of their typical week doing so. A third of this group also worked remotely most of the time (more than 90% of the week). Despite this, almost half (45%) wanted to increase the amount of time they spend working remotely every week even more, with only 16 per cent wanting to do less.

Younger respondents (16-34 years old) were more likely to spend most of their time working remotely compared to those over 35. However, over half of those over 35 would like the opportunity to work remotely more often.

 

Technology has changed the way we work, communicate and live in the 21st Century. A case in point is remote working, with 99 per cent of survey respondents saying technology is a key factor for successful remote working.

The most important tool for remote working is a fast and reliable broadband connection (78%). Despite its importance, IPSE research has found that one in five self-employed people in Scotland and Wales have problems running their business because of broadband issues¹¹. In addition,Ofcom research has shown that 42 per cent of UK microbusinesses don’t have superfast broadband – rising to 85 per cent in rural areas¹².

Access to key office equipment is also essential for remote working, with over half of respondents (52%) saying mobile devices are highly important and another 38 per cent saying the same for personal office equipment such as a monitor and printer.

With client communication one of the main difficulties for freelancers, many may also benefit from having access to a client’s Virtual Private Network (VPN), as well as online meeting software.

Good communication, such as clients being easy to contact (36%), having access to the right tools (35%) and being set clear deadlines and expectations (33%), is the top thing self-employed people say helps them maintain good relationships with their clients.

There is, however, some variation between different age groups. For millennials, having regular feedback from the client, as well as clear deadlines and expectations are key to a positive relationship. For those over 55, on the other hand, the autonomy to make work-related decisions is more important for maintaining good relationships.

Remote working is prevalent across the whole of the self-employed sector. It can, however, mean different things to different people, with very few always working from the same physical location.

It is also widely seen as an extremely positive way of working, with most saying that remote working enhances their experience of work. Not only does remote working enable self-employed workers to be more flexible with their time and enjoy a better work-life balance; it can also play a part in reducing stress.

Despite the clear benefits, remote working is not without its problems, with many complaining that it often entails poor communication, loneliness and disconnectedness.

So far, this report has highlighted some of the key benefits and challenges of working remotely. Now, with remote working clearly here to stay, we also set several recommendations to address the challenges and make remote-working work for the self-employed:

Where next?