Remote working “carrying out work away from a client or employer’s premises” is becoming much more popular right across the UK. One contributing factor seems to be companies trying to meet their employees’ demands for more flexibility and a better work-life balance1. In fact, flexible or remote working is the third-most important factor for millennials when considering a job, and a recent report by TotalJobs found that one in four UK employees would change job to be able to work remotely. 

Another factor behind the rise of remote working is the remarkable growth of self-employment in the UK. The UK’s self-employed population has risen from 3.3 million in 2001 to approximately 4.8 million today4. Two of the biggest reasons people have been moving into self-employment are the flexibility and worklife balance it offers5. Previous research shows that while remote working allows this flexibility, it is not without its disadvantages – including prompting feelings of loneliness and blurring the boundary between work and home life.

As remote working becomes more and more commonplace, there is a growing need to understand this way of working and make sure it works well for the self-employed and actually gives them the flexibility they crave. To do this, IPSE carried out a study of the UK’s self-employed, exploring not only the benefits and challenges of remote working, but also how this way of working can be improved for them.