People working from home worked 45 minutes less a day than those back in office, official data shows

People working from home spend 45 minutes fewer on their job each day, official data suggests.  

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released today show home workers only spend six-and-a-half hours a day on work.

In comparison, people still commuting into an office or factory spent around seven hours and 15 minutes a day working — including half-an-hour at home.

The data was taken from a survey of thousands of Brits, who were quizzed about how they spent their time over the past year.

It comes after it was revealed that millions of office staff may get a ‘default’ right to work from home under post-pandemic plans from ministers. 

The proposals would change the law to make it impossible for employers to insist on staff attending the workplace unless they can show it is essential.  

No10 will consult on the plan — part of a drive to promote flexible working — over the summer, ahead of possible legislation later this year.   

The ONS data today showed that, overall, the average amount of hours people spent working at home in the UK increased from 55 to 74 minutes a day from March and April last year to March this year. 

Retirees, stay-at-home mothers and unemployed people were included in the data. 

Brits have been asked to work from home wherever possible since No10 introduced the first lockdown last spring.

The ONS also looked at how vaccinated people spent their time, compared to non-jabbed adults.

Statisticians said most people did not change their lifestyles much after receiving a vaccine, even as the programme was expanded to younger groups.

Most people with a vaccine said they did not see others from outside their household any more frequently than they had before their jab.