Homeworking is no longer a pandemic-era exception. Four years after the last Covid restrictions were lifted, remote and hybrid working have become a normal part of UK working life. Yet outdated assumptions persist: that people at home are less committed, less productive, or easier to overlook. For women running or building businesses, removing the stigma from homeworking matters because it affects recruitment, retention, and your own ability to work around caring responsibilities.

Whether you are an employer managing a team, a self-employed consultant, or a founder hiring your first member of staff, the practical and legal landscape around homeworking has changed. This guide sets out the current UK position and what you can do to make homeworking work fairly.

The UK homeworking landscape in 2026

Remote working has settled at a much higher level than before 2020. ONS Labour Force Survey data from 2024 shows that around 28% of working adults in Great Britain now work from home at least some of the time, and hybrid arrangements are now the default in many professional sectors.

This shift is particularly relevant for women in business. Flexible working is consistently one of the most requested arrangements by women returning from maternity leave, managing caring responsibilities, or scaling a business around school hours. The Women in Business: Key UK Facts page shows that women-led enterprises are a growing force in the UK economy, and homeworking can remove geographical and logistical barriers that previously kept talented women out of the workforce.

Why the productivity argument no longer holds

The most common objection to homeworking is that people will work less hard without a manager nearby. The evidence does not support this. CIPD research from 2024 found that the majority of UK employers report flexible working has had a positive or neutral effect on productivity. Many workers also report fewer workplace distractions at home, and removing the commute can mean starting the day with more energy.

For business owners, the benefits go beyond individual output. Homeworking widens the recruitment pool: you are not limited to candidates who live within commuting distance of a physical office. That is especially valuable in sectors with skills shortages, where offering remote or hybrid roles can help you attract experienced women who might otherwise be unable to apply.

Employees with caring responsibilities, who are still disproportionately women, are also more likely to stay in roles that allow them to work from home when a child is unwell or school is closed. Retention is usually cheaper than recruitment, so a well-managed homeworking policy can protect your bottom line.

What the law says about flexible working

The legal framework around homeworking has strengthened significantly. Under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which took effect on 6 April 2024, employees in England, Scotland and Wales now have a day-one right to request flexible working. This includes requests to work from home, change start and finish times, or move to compressed hours.

Employers must deal with requests in a reasonable manner and can only refuse them for specific statutory reasons, such as burden of additional costs, inability to reorganise work among existing staff, or detrimental impact on performance. Acas updated its Code of Practice on flexible working in 2024, and employers who ignore it risk an employment tribunal claim.

If you run a business with staff, you should have a written flexible working policy that explains how employees can apply and how decisions are made. For more detail, see our guide to Flexible Working Rights UK 2026: What Women Need to Know.

Tax and expenses for homeworkers

Homeworking also has financial implications that are worth getting right. If you are employed and required to work from home, HMRC allows you to claim tax relief on £6 per week for additional household costs without needing to provide receipts. If your costs are higher, you can claim the exact amount, but you will need evidence.

If you are self-employed, HMRC offers simplified expenses for working from home. The flat rate depends on how many hours you work from home each month: £10 for 25 to 50 hours, £18 for 51 to 100 hours, and £26 for 101 hours or more. For a fuller breakdown, read our article on Home Working Expenses Self Employed Can Claim Through HMRC.

How to value homeworkers fairly

The best way to remove the stigma from homeworking is to treat remote staff as integral to the team, not an afterthought. That means including them in meetings, decisions, and social events. It also means setting clear performance expectations and reviewing output rather than hours spent at a desk.

Practical steps include:

• Hold hybrid meetings so remote participants can see and hear everyone in the room.
• Rotate meeting times so the same people are not always inconvenienced.
• Document decisions in writing so homeworkers are not left out of informal office conversations.
• Train managers to spot signs of isolation and to have regular one-to-one check-ins.
• Make sure homeworkers know how to access HR support, IT help, and mental health resources.

Businesses that get this right tend to attract a wider and more loyal workforce. In a competitive labour market, a positive homeworking culture is a genuine recruitment advantage.

Action steps

• Review your flexible working policy against the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 and the Acas Code of Practice.
• Check whether you or your employees are claiming the correct HMRC homeworking expenses.
• Audit your meetings and communications to make sure remote team members are fully included.
• Set clear output-based performance measures rather than monitoring presence.
• Communicate your homeworking approach in job adverts to attract a wider pool of applicants.

Removing the stigma from homeworking is not about forcing everyone to work from home. It is about recognising that where work happens is less important than whether it is done well. With the right policy, culture, and tax arrangements, homeworking can help women in business build sustainable careers and help employers hold on to the talent they have invested in.