Why many of Britain’s renters cannot afford to work from home

Working from home sounds quite attractive, at least in the short term. Not having to get dressed, putting the kettle on whenever you like, playing your favourite music and singing along, clocking off at 5pm and going out to walk the dog – some people have been loving the homeworking life; however, for many renters in the UK, working from home does not quite have the same ring to it.

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Is the working from home scheme a success?

For some employers, allowing their employees to work from home has been a great success, with many being able to set up workstations at home and intercept calls to the office with little or no disruption. What’s more, employees with the space and the comfort have thoroughly enjoyed being in their homes and have found this to have a positive impact on their lives. On the other hand, for manual workers, most parts of their jobs cannot be carried out at home.

Who does working from home not really work for?

As previously mentioned, manual workers or those working as nurses or bus drivers, as examples, simply cannot work from home. Even those who have switched to virtual meeting rooms will be missing that very important face-to-face interaction that comes from having reception chairs in their office entrances to allow socialising. Not every business owner has the space to have even temporary reception chairs from a stockist such as https://www.bestbuy-officechairs.co.uk/reception-chairs/ while following social distancing guidelines.

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Who is not allowed to work from home?

Sadly, many renters have come up against rules set out in their tenancy agreements that include clauses stating they cannot use their home for work. Even self-employed caterers, hairdressers, personal trainers and many more are prohibited by law to practise their professions in their property, although many will be unaware of this restriction.

What can the housing industry learn from Covid-19?

It is about time that new housing laws take into account the flexibility that homeowners and renters want from their space. As such, deeds and covenants related to new housing should help to support the balance of home and workspace that we are all now becoming accustomed to in a bid to encourage more people to stay employed, especially those who are self-employed and make up around one-third of the British economy.

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