Teleworking is good for your health

Teleworking is good for your health

More than 90 per cent of BT's teleworkers who responded to a European Union-backed survey said they experienced less stress and that their productivity increased – plus, they had more leisure time. Respondents also suggested that additional benefits included the ability to multi-task, the lack of commuting and the ability to choose when to work. The survey of 2,000 BT teleworking staff by the University of Bradford also outlined negative aspects to working at home.

However, all is not positive. Drawbacks for teleworking included concern at the increased working hours, and – a perennial problem reported by teleworkers – home-based teleworkers felt isolated from "social and professional interaction in the workplace". They suggest that can be demotivating and depressing. Some also said that teleworking made it more difficult to get visibility with management – a case of "out of sight,out of mind".

However, the overall feeling was that the advantages of working from home far outweighed the drawbacks.

Adrian Hosford, director of BT group social policy, said the report reinforced the growing importance of flexible working for the company's employees and a national trend towards more teleworking.

"Most staff say they are enjoying an improved quality of life, reduced stress, feeling more productive", says Hosford. "BT is benefiting from higher employee productivity and morale as well as lower absenteeism."

The number of teleworkers in Europe has doubled in the past three years to 20 million, and in the UK more than 2.2 million people work at home online at least one day a week, according to a report in the latest Labour Market Trendsfrom the Office of National Statistics. This figure accounts for 7.4 percent of the entire workforce and includes mostly managerial and professional jobs –the most likely teleworkers.