Working from home '“ in your pyjamas?

Workplace provider Regus asked 3,000 professionals in the UK about home working habits, and results reveal an anything-goes attitude when away from the gaze of colleagues.

Preston respondents showed a very relaxed attitude to the home working business day; 30 per cent worked at least some of the time in their pyjamas, with 13 per cent even confessing to conducting business in their underwear.

Amusingly, attitudes quickly change when it comes to appearing in front of webcams, with 70 per cent of Preston workers admitting to smartening up before a video conference call when working from home.

Behind the fun findings lie some important messages. Undoubtedly, the UK’s business mindset is moving away from the fixed location, fixed hours routine of yesteryear towards a more flexible model. However, not every home environment is conducive to this new way of working.

Celia Donne, global operations director, Regus said: “It really shouldn’t matter what people wear within the comfort of their own home.

“The important point is whether their home is practically set-up to enable the employee to perform at their very best.

“Too often, the home environment – for all its comfort – is impractical because of interruptions or poor connectivity or unsuitable furniture.

“That’s why more and more workers are taking advantage of professional workspace – space which enables them to turn-up, plug-in and be productive.

“Perhaps pyjamas aren’t the best look for such an environment – but the convenience of working locally, avoiding the commute and connecting with like-minded professionals should provide a similar level of well-being.”

Regus is the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace solutions, with a network of 2,800 locations across 106 countries and 977 cities, serving 2.3m members.

Its customers include some of the most successful entrepreneurs.