The document discusses the impact of homeworking on productivity and well-being in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown. It highlights a significant increase in the percentage of the workforce working from home and presents data indicating that many employees felt they were more productive at home compared to their pre-lockdown conditions. A majority of employees expressed a preference for continuing to work from home in some capacity even after restrictions are lifted.

1. Homeworking and its effects on productivity
and well-being
Darja REUSCHKE
Associate Professor in Human Geography
University of Southampton, UK

2. BBC News on 28th August 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53942542
2

3. Homeworking – massive changes in UK
5.7
43.1
40.8
36.5
6.1
8.3
8.9
8.7
17.7
9.1
10.3
9.6
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
2020
APRIL 2020 MAY 2020 JUNE 2020
%OF16+EMPLOYED
Always Often Sometimes
Felstead and Reuschke: Homeworking in the UK Before and During the Lockdown 2020
Data source: Understanding Society Covid-19 Study
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/topic/covid-19
3

4. % of workforce exclusively working at home
7.3
6.5
3.8
7.9
3.2
57.5
48.8
36.8
62.6
22.2
53
46.5
35.8
59.8
19.9
52.4
41.1
32.9
66.6
12.3
LONDON SOUTH EAST WALES BANKING &
FINANCE
DISTRIBUTION,
HOTELS &
RESTAURANTS
REGION/NATION INDUSTRY
%ALWAYSWORKINGATHOME
January/February 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020
4
Felstead and Reuschke: Homeworking in the UK Before and During the Lockdown 2020
Data source: Understanding Society Covid-19 Study
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/topic/covid-19

5. Productivity and homeworking
• Concerns of employers not to have control
• Bloom et al. (2015)
– Randomised control trial of a call centre
– Working at home group outperformed office-bound workers by 13%
– Greater convenience/ease to work at home
– Quietness
5

6. Productivity of homeworking employees during
lockdown
6
13.5
15.4
40.9
21
9.2
MUCH MORE
DONE
A LITTLE MORE
DONE
SAME DONE A LITTLE LESS
DONE
MUCH LESS
DONE
%OFHOMEWORKINGEMPLOYEES
Note: “Please think about how much work you get done per hour these days. How does that
compare to how much you would have got done per hour back in January/February 2020”
Data Source: Understanding Society Covid-19 Study, June Survey
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/topic/covid-19

7. Homeworking preferences
“Once social distancing measures are relaxed and workplaces go back to normal,
how often would you like to work from home?”
• 88% want to continue working at home in one capacity
– 41% sometimes
– 34% often
– 13% always
7

8. Conclusion and outlook
• Preference for teleworking
• Transport and infrastructure
• Residential areas (suburbs) with high amenities
• Productivity has not been adversely affected by the shift
towards homeworking in industries with high shares of
high-skilled, high-paid workers (CIPD, 2020; Bartik et al.,
2020)
• Allowing employees to work at home, if they want to, may
increase not reduce productivity
8

9. Dr Darja Reuschke
d.reuschke@soton.ac.uk
http://workandhome.ac.uk
Link to reports:
https://wiserd.ac.uk/publications