UK office workers would agree to pay cut for remote working

Three quarters of UK office workers said that they would accept – or have accepted – a pay cut in return for a fully remote role that allows them to work from anywhere, according to new research*

The new data, based on a survey of 1,000 UK office workers and conducted by OnePoll, examined employee attitudes towards the future of work as we begin 2021.

The poll found that on average, respondents would be willing to take a 14% pay cut in order to secure remote working in their role. Based on the current average UK salary of £30,472 this would represent a gross reduction of around £4,266 per annum on average per worker.

Over a quarter (27%) of workers would accept a pay cut of between 15-20%, with a similar number (26%) prepared to accept a pay cut of over 20% for the fully remote working benefit.

“We’re now in a world where employees have seen the potential that remote working holds to improve their work/life balance – so much so that they’re willing to forgo a significant portion of their salaries to achieve this on a permanent basis,” Darren Fields, Regional Vice President, UK & Ireland, Citrix, said.

Those aged between 45 and 54 were prepared to take the largest salary sacrifice, averaging 16% – or £4,887 gross salary, based on the national average income. Nearly one in five (17%) employees within this age group were willing to forgo more than 25% of their salary for remote working.

The over 55s were the least open to salary reductions for the benefit of remote working, with 36% saying they wouldn’t accept a pay cut for permanent remote working.

Respondents from the East Midlands would be willing to let go of 15% of their salary to work remotely. This would represent a £4,717 cut based on today’s national salary average. Those from Scotland were at the other end of the spectrum. While there was still a willingness from respondents to forgo some of their salaries for permanent remote working, their average accepted pay reduction for such a benefit was 9%.

“Technology allows us to take control of our working lives in a way we’ve never been able to before. Thankfully, those wishing to spend more time working remotely are no longer burdened by outdated cultures and stigmas.

Whether you’re working from home, a collaborative working space or a coffee shop, with the right technology, employees can benefit from the same secure digital workspace they would traditionally have experienced in the office, remaining productive and engaged, wherever they are logged on,” Fields added.

Citrix*