Workers would take pay cut to work from home

About 16% of Australian employees would voluntarily give up 5% of their salary to gain the ability to work from home, according to a new survey.

The report, commission by Citrix Online, shows that 58% of full-time workers would work remotely if given the chance, but 66% say they have never been given the opportunity.

The report surveyed over 600 employees in the US, Britain and Australia, as well as 300 small businesses.

The results also show that despite two-thirds of Australian workers never have the chance to work from home, about 64% of small businesses owners say they work remotely.

The report also shows that 17% of small business owners don’t have access to technology that would allow them to work from home, compared to just 8% in the US and 14% in Britain. But 45% of business owners say offering flexible working hours is the most essential ingredient for business success.

Joseph Sweeney, adviser for IBRS, a member of the Worldwide Workplace Council, says the results show how challenging working from home can be.

“While small business owners recognise the importance of offering a flexible work environment, they are behind the times when it comes to implementing remote working practices. Many simply don’t know the first steps to take, and face challenges in finding the right tools to use,” he says.