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Forget the image of the home office being about convenience, efficiency and a homely environment… the majority of people who work at home do so in cramped and uncomfortable conditions more similar to a 19th Century sweatshop according to new research from Lexmark, the international printer manufacturer.

Only 44% of people are satisfied with their home office space, with 26% forced to work at the kitchen or dining room table, 37% in their spare room and 10% “hotdesking” around the house using any space they can find.

The survey of 1,000 home-workers in the UK reveals the reality of the so called ‘modern way to work’ is in fact old fashioned and impractical.  Despite having the latest gadgets and new wireless technology:

• 37%  of people work in a room with no natural light
• 48% have no permanent work space at home – meaning they are regularly distracted by having to pack up their work and move elsewhere in the house
• 75% work in a cramped and cluttered space
• 56% say they do not have enough space to work effectively

THE HOME OFFICE MYTH
Despite this reality, most people still perceive working from home as a healthier, more productive option to the ‘traditional’ office and believe it provides the following benefits:
1. Freedom and flexibility to work the hours you want – 70%
2. A more relaxed and comfortable working environment – 56%
3. Working in a quiet environment with few distractions – 51
4. No one watching over you as you work – 41%
5. Increased productivity and efficiency – 30%
 
ALL WIRED UP
7% of people have 10 or more cables – or an average of 12 metres of wiring strangling their home office – coming from 14 or more separate gadgets including PC’s, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers, PDA’s and their mountain of chargers. 

Lexmark’s new range of All-in-One’s help resolve this problem and free up desk and office space by combining a printer, scanner, copier and fax in one simple device.

IN AN IDEAL WORLD
The research shows that most people still believe in creating the ‘ideal home office’. 80% say comfort is the most important factor in a home office, with the 2nd most important of 69% being easy access to devices.

THE EUROPEAN VIEW
This conflict between the perception and reality of working from home is reflected across Europe, with all those surveyed citing flexibility and freedom as the most important perceived benefit of working at home. The Italians have the least comfortable home working conditions, with only a quarter (25%) benefiting from natural light compared to two thirds (64%) in the UK.

Belgium and Luxembourg are the most technologically advanced in Europe with almost a fifth (18%) having wireless access at home, compared to only 8% in the UK.  All countries apart from the UK rated wireless freedom as more important than natural light in their home offices.

“The perception of the home office is that it offers more freedom and flexibility and is a modern and comfortable way to work” says Giovanni Giusti, Managing Director, Lexmark UK.

“Our research shows the reality is that people are suffering the worst conditions: working in dark, cramped and uncomfortable spaces, forced to give up room to various pieces of office technology and strangled by miles of cables and wiring.”

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