Are Cars The New Offices?

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14 October 2020 | Updated 28 October 2020

As the UK workforce faces more uncertainty about their working location, a survey by heycar has revealed that many are finding their cars a more suitable place to work than their homes.

Their research, carried out before and after March 2020’s lockdown found that one in ten respondents regularly work from their car. 20 per cent stated that they found the solitude of their car perfect for laptop work.

One in four (23 per cent) admitted to using their car to talk to clients or to catch up with colleagues, and one in five said use their car for “me time”.

“We no longer just see our vehicles as a means of getting us from A to B. Now they are offices, sanctuaries, a place for some much needed ‘me’ time.”

–Mat Moakes

CEO, heycar

Working From the Car More Prevalent Amongst 17-24 Year Old Men

With the government calling on the UK workforce to stick to their home offices as much as possible, for some, the unsuitability of their home environment has led to them exploring more creatives areas.

The most recent Leesman research, which focussed on the experience of home workers, found that 40 per cent of home workers have their own traditional desk or office, 31 per cent have a dedicated working area, and 29 per cent have a non-specific work location, such as the dining table or sofa.

92 per cent of those working from a dedicated room or office agreed this environment enables them to work productively and 89 per cent felt it is suitable for the work that they do – 33 per cent more than those working from a non-specific work location.

Comparatively, almost half (44 per cent) of workers with a non-specific work location at home feel that the physical settings they use when working from home are unsuitable for the work they do. They are also less likely to work productively (68 per cent) and less likely to feel connected to their employees (54 per cent). 

The research from heycar suggests that the rise in working from unusual places within the home is most notable among 17-24 year old workers, with one in five now frequently working from their car (up by a 25 per cent on earlier in the  year) 

Male workers in this age group are also twice as likely to work from the car (13 per cent of males versus seven per cent females within the study).

CEO of heycar, Mat Moakes commented: “The pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives dramatically - including how we use our cars.

“We no longer just see our vehicles as a means of getting us from A to B. Now they are offices, sanctuaries, a place for some much needed ‘me’ time.”

The survey was conducted by Censuswide with 2,004 respondents in the UK between 28 February 2020 and 03 March 2020 and 2,006 respondents in the UK between 17 July 2020 and 20 July 2020.

Picture: a photograph of a person sitting in a car, holding a coffee cup and writing in a notepad

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 14 October 2020

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