12/05/2006

Research Places NI Bottom Of Home Working Table

TUC research of regional trends of home working using previously unpublished data from the Labour Force Survey has revealed that Northern Ireland has the UK’s lowest percentage of people working from home.

The data indicated that only 15,000 workers – just 2.6% of the working population – are based at or usually work from home.

The highest proportion of workers in the UK working at home is in the South East of England (excluding London), with 6.9%.

The UK average for home working is 5.1% of the working population, with 59.9% of self-employed people working from home. The average split between the sexes is 69% male to 31% female.

The three-year Work Wise UK campaign, which promotes the widespread adoption of smarter working practices, such as home working but also including flexible working, mobile working and remote working, was launched at a special summit in London earlier this month.

CBI Director-General Sir Digby Jones, Brendan Barber, secretary-general of the TUC, Sir Christopher Bland, chairman of BT, and Meg Munn MP, then Minister for Women and Equality, all made keynote speeches to 300 influential delegates from government, the unions and business about how to deliver a smarter working Britain.

Phil Flaxton, Chief Executive of the IT Forum Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation behind the campaign, said: “Work Wise UK has got off to an excellent start with extensive media coverage during Work Wise Week, which finished last Tuesday.

“National Work from Home Day and Work Wise Week, will become annual fixtures, highlighting the advantages of smarter working, and to report progress on raising the proportion of the working population able to benefit from such progressive working practices.”

Further information about Work Wise UK can be found at www.workwiseuk.org.

(SP/GB)

Related Northern Ireland Recruitment News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

25 July 2003
Government extends protection for NI workers
New measures to protect around 15,000 additional workers from excessive hours and unreasonable working patterns have been introduced by the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL).
20 November 2012
SIPTU Home Helps To March Tomorrow
SIPTU Home Helps and their supporters from across the midlands will march tomorrow in Tullamore to protest against cuts to Home Help services. The workers will assemble at the SIPTU Unity Hall, Church Street, at 3.00 p.m. and march to the Health Service Executive (HSE) Central Offices, Arden Road.
30 August 2012
SIPTU To Defend Home Help Services
The SIPTU national campaign to defend Home Help services is convening a series of meetings in Sligo and Leitrim during September. SIPTU Organiser, Annette Carpenter, said: "All HSE Home Helps in the Sligo and Leitrim area are requested to attend one of the meetings.
15 August 2016
Fuller Working Lives Report 'Useless Window Dressing'
The first report of the Interdepartmental Group on Fuller Working Lives has been described as "a useless piece of window dressing", by SIPTU General President Jack O'Connor. The Group was established by the government in January to consider policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors.
08 February 2011
Belfast College To Loose 200 Staff
Belfast Metropolitan College has confirmed it is likely to shed more than 200 jobs in restructuring plans. The college has finished a 90-day consultation period with unions about the plans - although it also admitted that talks had "broken down". A statement issued on Tuesday said 120 full-time and 93 part time positions are under threat.