The Office for National Statistics produces figures which tell us the estimated number of people in work in the United Kingdom. While there are regular variations in the monthly totals the figure tends to hover around the 29million mark. A number of surveys of working practices and work-related topics have estimated that the proportion of workers who Work From Home all the time is around three per cent of the working population. In addition to this there are some workers who Work From Home infrequently. A respected Government survey reports that seven percent of workers work at home once a week, five per cent do so once a month and six per cent do so less than once a month. The same survey suggests that the three per cent figure has remained constant since at least 2002 but that the other figures are gradually growing.

The recent developments in communication technology and the unstoppable expansion of the World Wide Web has brought about the dawn of the Internet Business and it would be logical to assume that many Online Jobs are being created on the back of it. While new technology is visible in offices throughout the country it can sometimes be challenging or too expensive to replicate it at home. The survey which produced the statistics above also publishes information on the equipment and technology being operated by those people who Work From Home on occasions.

The survey points out that around 82 per cent of these people use a PC, a laptop or a PDA, the new hand-held device which also act as a mobile phone. 79% of people need a telephone or mobile phone and 78% have a broadband internet connection. 7 per cent are still getting by with a dial-up internet connection. The most telling finding was that forty seven per cent of people were able to operate a remote access to their office network. While 82 per cent of people have a PC, only 49% claim to use a printer which would suggest that some progress has been made towards the holy grail of the paperless office. Despite the launch of all the new technology 7 per cent of people still require a fax machine. As confirmation that not every job craves new technology or hardware, 8 per cent of respondents to the survey said that they utilised none of the items mentioned above.

The content of each job function is evidently a major issue in deciding whether to enable people to Work From Home and the survey results would seem to confirm that there are an awful lot more jobs that entail occasional working from home than entail it on a full time basis. If the Internet Business wants to provide all of its people with the essential equipment to Work From Home, including remote access to its office network, then they could make all of their jobs Online Jobs and benefit from the savings on the leasing of office space. However the survey also identifies the fact that only 9 per cent of those who Work From Home occasionally and three per cent of those who have never worked at home believe that they could do all of their Work From Home.

In conclusion, technology does help to allow people to Work From Home but the chance of success is very task-specific and the survey results would suggest that the move away from the traditional office environment will be a trickle not a flood.