Although technology makes remote working easier than ever before, not all organisations are able to facilitate it, while others simply decide against offering this way of working.
The research finds that more than two thirds (68%) of employees are currently allowed to work remotely, and those working in the private sector (72%) are much more likely to be able to do so than public sector employees (61%).
Which of the following statement best describes your ability to work from anywhere / any device?
More women (38%) are not allowed to work from home than men (26%); this issue needs addressing, especially in light of other current issues around gender equality, such as the gender pay gap.
Overall, under a third (32%) of all workers are able to work remotely whenever they want to.
This falls short of the number of CIOs (42%) who in our 2018 CIO survey said they strongly set out to encourage remote working.
This is also at odds with the overwhelming demand for remote working from employees.
The time where most employees were rigidly tied to an office-based desktop computer is becoming a thing of the past; technology today means it is possible for people to work from any location.
People are hungry for this change and the transformational impact it could have on their lives, whether that’s working from home, a hotel room, or coffee shop.
Unsurprisingly, the research shows that almost three quarters (71%) of workers would like to have the option to work remotely.
Almost nine in ten (88%) employees recognise that there are benefits to working remotely, with the biggest driver being a better work-life balance, selected by 60% as a main benefit.
Almost half (47%) cited reducing transport costs, and 35% said less travel would reduce their carbon footprint.
What do you see as the main benefits of being able to work remotely?
From a business point of view, reduced number of journeys can also have an important impact on wider environmental issues.
Since 2013, it’s been a legal requirement for listed companies operating in the UK to report on their greenhouse gas emissions.
Aside from looking at the power needed to run an office, Px3 reports that car commuters are responsible for three quarters (66%) of CO2 emissions that are created by over 300 billion miles travelled yearly on UK roads.
How important are the following to your happiness at work?
This suggests cutting the number of times employees need to travel to the office will benefit both sides, saving workers money and making organisations greener.
However, workers are often restricted by the technologies they use, with the research finding only just over half (51%) have the option to work from their own device, and only 14% are being rewarded or encouraged to do so.
The impact remote working could have on their lives is not lost on our respondents: when asked to consider which factors are most important to their happiness at work, they ranked flexible/remote working (61%) as the most important after salary (86%) and holiday (75%).
Both flexible/remote working (61%) and a good IT experience (38%) were indeed in the top five factors, ahead of health insurance (21%), company share options (12%), and a company car (10%).