Private sector more likely to offer remote jobs

IT and administrative jobs, managerial positions more likely to have remote work

LONDON, ENGLAND — Private companies are more likely to offer remote jobs, according to new data analysed by the UK Parliament.

The information was revealed in an assessment of the impact of remote, hybrid and flexible working models on employees and employers alike.

Data found that public sector jobs were more flexible in general, granting workers more flexible hours. However, private sector jobs were more likely to offer remote work, especially for managers or other high-level positions.

“Across all forms of flexible working arrangements, higher levels of flexibility are reported in the public sector compared to the private sector,” the UK Parliament noted.

“However, there is variation across the public sector, with people in the public sector more likely to work flexible hours like flexitime or part-time.”

According to the research, self-employed workers are most likely to work from home, followed by private sector workers.

Civil servants and those in the public sector are least likely to work remotely in comparison.

 

Certain fields more likely to have remote jobs

The UK Parliament’s research also identified several fields that are more likely to have remote jobs than others, particularly IT and administration.

This is in addition to higher positions like managers and directors being more likely to have remote work.

“There are significant differences between different industries,” the report found.

“People working in information and communication, professional, technical and administrative industries are more likely to work at home compared to those in skilled trades and service occupations.”

Additionally, it noted, “Managers and supervisors are more likely to work from home sometimes or always compared to non-managers and non-supervisors.

“People with higher qualifications are more likely to do some work remotely than people with no or lower qualifications.”

 

Remote jobs in high demand

Despite the contrast between public and private employers when it comes to remote jobs, the UK Parliament study found that most British workers want to work remotely at least part of the time.

“Evidence suggests that a majority of workers…would like to carry out hybrid working in the future,” according to its report.

“Survey data from 2021 and 2022 estimate that more than 80 per cent of employees who worked from home because of the pandemic prefer a hybrid working model.”

At the same time, while British workers want remote work, many companies were still on the fence about whether to offer the same.

The UK Parliament’s report continued, “Survey data suggest that organisations’ preferences for hybrid working are more mixed.

“Between a quarter to around two-thirds of employers in 2021 reported that they intend to introduce or expand hybrid working to some degree.”

Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via RemoteWorker.co.uk.

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References:

UK Parliament study - “The impact of remote and hybrid working on workers and organisations”