According to a study in 2016 by the TUC (Trade Union's Congress), a national trade union centre in the UK that represents the vast majority of organised workers, revealed that a staggering quarter of a million (241,000) more people work from home than a decade ago. So we decided to go undercover and take a snoop around some home offices to find out more.
This week we caught up with 37 year old Judith Fenelon who works from home in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Judith is a Sourcing Project Manager, providing training and hands on support to Procurement Professionals and facilitating online tenders and eAuctions.
Where is your workplace?
I split my time between our London office and home, depending on what work is booked in that week. I generally manage to work from home at least 2 days a week.
How do you feel about more people working from home?
I think it makes good sense. In my view, its a positive thing that companies are becoming more flexible regarding how and where their employees work. Just by removing the daily commute a couple of days a week, or allowing people to work from home if they have a doctors appointment for example, can really improve people’s work life balance.
Most of my work is done via online platforms and online meetings, so as long as I have a strong internet connection and can forward office phones to my mobile; it makes no difference if I’m in the office or working from home. In fact, I would say I’m much more productive when I work from home!
Which room is your home office in?
I wouldn’t say I have a home office as such; I work from my dining table in my lounge.
What does your home office look like?
Well, as I work from my lounge, I would say it has a homely look, with a nice view out onto the back garden.
What's in your home office?
Just my work laptop, headset and notepad. And everything else you would normally find in a lounge.
Was it easy to organise the space?
Yes, really easy. I didn’t really have to organise the space, just make sure the table was clear and tidy.
How tidy is your home office?
I’m pretty tidy, so I would say my home work space is quite tidy and organised – most of the time...
Do you share your home office?
No, it’s just me.
How do you plan your day?
When working from home, I have a catch up call with my colleague every morning to go over project workloads and deadlines (and to have a general chat!). How busy we are varies day to day and can change at the last minute, so I might think I have a pretty quiet day, but then that can change very quickly. Work definitely comes first, but if I need to pop out in the middle of the day I know that’s fine and I just fit it in around meetings and events. In fact, I try to make sure I do get out for walk each lunch time, otherwise I get cabin fever! When things are a bit quiet, I do like to get some batch cooking or baking done and get the freezer well stocked – sad, but true.
Please complete the sentence...'I love my home office because....?'
I no longer have a daily commute into London and with that regained time, I can get out running with friends or walk the dog. And it’s just nice not be stuck on a train for an hour (or more) every day!
