Cecila Steinmetz

Whether we like it or not, the UK is fast becoming a nation of home workers. Official statistics show that around 44 per cent of employees now spend at least some of their week working away from the office, peaking at more than half for those aged 35 to 44. Companies that embrace remote working are becoming increasingly popular as employees seek to cut commuting time and costs and improve work-life balance. Some firms go further and offer flexible hours in addition to logging on from home, allowing employees to pick their hours - perhaps starting earlier or finishing later to incorporate a school run or doctor's appointment. Others offer 'work from anywhere' policies and even provide free ski chalets and European villas for those wishing to login overseas. After Covid, 44 per cent of UK employees now spend some of their working week away from the office The flexible jobs website Flexa, which analysed the preferences of 5,300 job seekers in September 2024, found a whopping 58 per cent of workers would prefer fully remote roles. 'Fully remote roles are the '"norm" for many younger workers who studied remotely during the pandemic - many of whom have since moved back in with their parents thanks to sky-high rents. Plenty of older workers have grown used to working from home, too. Not everyone enjoys water cooler chats and post-work socials. Many prefer to finish their work faster and have more time to spend at home with their families instead, without office distractions,' says Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder of Flexa. 'For others, it's less about what they have to "lose" by coming into the office, and more about what they can gain by working from home. New research reveals that homeworkers get 24 minutes extra sleep, and gain an additional 15 minutes for exercise each day, on average.' Of course, not all jobs are possible to do remotely - particularly those in the care, hospitality and transport sectors. But if you work in an office-based role, there are many opportunities to do at least some of your work remotely. With this in mind, we've scoured job listings and spoken to recruitment consultants, industry professionals and career experts to bring you the UK's top 50 companies offering flexible working. Those on the list allow at least two days a week working from home, although many offer more than this, and we've focused on larger employers, with at least 150 employees, across a variety of industries and locations.  Moneysupermarket (MONY) Sector: Digital Employees: 600+ Working policy: MONY Group, owner of comparison websites including Moneysupermarket, operates a hybrid working model, with at least 40 per cent of days in its London or Manchester office per month (two mandated days per week). Teams have a set office 'anchor day' each week so everyone is in together. Staff can work from anywhere in the world for up to two weeks a year. Job openings: Data product manager, software developer Ernst & Young Sector: Professional Services Employees: 21,000 Working policy: Accountancy and professional services firm EY operates a hybrid working model in the UK, with the expectation that most employees will spend at least two days a week working remotely and the remaining three days on-site with a client or at one of EY's offices across the UK. Job openings: Consultants, audit managers, among others Iwoca Sector: Finance Employees: 450 Working policy: All employees at loans firm Iwoca have the option to work flexibly and from any location that suits them. Iwoca also books ski chalets for the majority of the ski season in the alps, or a villa somewhere hot in Europe for the summer months. Employees can go there to work with teams, work flexibly in between ski sessions or take time off. Job openings: 50+ open positions right now as the company aims to get to around 500 employees next year, including account manager and compliance roles. Airbnb Sector: Technology (homestays) Employees: Over 6,900 Working policy: Airbnb allows employees to work from anywhere through its 'Live and Work Anywhere' policy. The vast majority of employees can choose to work from home full-time if they wish to. Teams meet up regularly for gatherings and social events. Job openings: Researchers, operations managers Employment Hero Sector: Digital Employees: 1,400 (200 in the UK) Working policy: Employees at the HR firm work solely from home (the company has no office). Staff have the freedom to set their own schedules and can work around their home commitments - for example, if they need to do the school run or want to do some grocery shopping in the middle of the day. The company says job applications have risen 300x in the past few years thanks to its work-from-home policy and is currently hiring 'aggressively' in the UK. Job openings: Roles across marketing, PR, payroll support and sales. Civil service Sector: Public sector Employees: 500,000+ Working policy: Most Government departments, including HMRC and other parts of the civil service, adhere to the policy set by the Cabinet Office that says workers should work in an office 60 per cent of the time. The Civil Service has a wide range of roles including in finance, legal, digital, research and governance. Some, such as those in operational or logistics roles that need to be on-site, cannot be done from home. Unilever Sector: Consumer goods Employees: 6,000+ in the UK Working policy: Unilever, owner of many consumer goods brands including Dove, Comfort and Ben & Jerry's, offers hybrid working across its 20 sites in the UK. Employees must spend at least 40 per cent of their time in the office. Job openings: Digital and supplier partnerships quality specialist Bloom and Wild Sector: Retail (flower delivery) Employees: 428 (218 in the UK) Working policy: Flower delivery company Bloom & Wild offers flexible working, flexible bank holidays, and a work from abroad approach. The company says the majority of its team work flexibly, rather than fully remote. Job openings: Junior copywriter John Lewis Sector: Retail Employees: 70,000+ Working policy: Employees discuss flexible working from day one of employment and can formally make two flexible working requests a year, typically meaning a change in working hours or location. Flexible working is not just the chance to work from home, but working part-time, in a job share, having compressed or reduced hours or flexible retirement. Job openings: Marketing controls manager and financial promotions American Express Sector: Payments (bank) Employees: 74,000+ globally Working policy: Through the Amex Flex working policy, all staff can work in Amex's offices in Sussex or London, or at home through a hybrid approach that combines both. Amex says the majority of workers are hybrid, but some are full office-based or fully remote. Staff can also work up to four weeks a year from a location other than the office. Job openings: Executive assistant, analyst, digital product manager, product designer Mondelez Sector: Confectionery Employees: 4,000 (1,700 working flexibly) Working policy: The confectionery company, which owns the Cadbury brand, allows employees to work two days at home and three in the offices in Birmingham and London. It also offers flexible working hours and the opportunity to work abroad. Job openings: Sales development executive Arup Sector: Engineering Employees: 15,500 (6,000 in UK) Working policy: Staff at London-based engineering group Arup can work from home three days a week, and can spread their hours flexibly over the course of Monday to Sunday. Job openings: Engineers, product and designer managers Lloyds Banking Group Sector: Banking Employees: 66,000 Working policy: Office-based workers can work from home three days a week and come into the office twice. They can also work remotely in the UK for the six weeks of the summer holidays (late July and August). Job openings: Content designer Atom Bank Sector: Banking Employees: 550 Working policy: All employees at Atom work a four-day week. The bank offers part-time roles, compressed hours and flexibility with start and finish times. Staff can choose to work remotely, from the office or hybrid between them both. Some of Atom's employees are on full remote contracts and there is no expectation for them to be in the office unless they want or need to be, the firm says. Job openings: Several, including commercial underwriter Aevi Sector: Financial services (global payment platform) Employees: 200+ Working policy: Payments company Aevi's 'work from anywhere' policy gives employees the freedom to choose the work setup that suits them best, whether they choose to be fully remote, hybrid or in the office. Employees tend to come into the office in Aldwych, London, about two days a week. Aevi also offers unlimited holidays and a home office allowance. Job openings: Cloud architect KPMG Sector: Professional Services Employees: 18,000 Working policy: KPMG staff work up to four days a fortnight in KPMG offices across the UK, with the rest of their working days spent at home or bokep at client sites Job openings: Consultants, tax managers, project managers Aon Sector: Insurance Employees: 50,000 (6,500 in the UK) Working policy: The insurance company offers a variety of working style solutions to help colleagues manage their wellbeing and work-life balance. This includes home workers as well as those who choose to work flexed hours or days. The hybrid model is the most popular working style, with workers spending at least 50 per cent of their time in one of its many offices in the UK or with clients. Job openings: Financial coach (fully remote), consultants, developers ClearBank Sector: Finance / Banking Employees: 700+ Working policy: ClearBank says it supports a culture of flexibility and promotes a strong work-life balance. Staff don't have a set number of days in the office. They can work where they're happiest, whether that's from home, the office or a mix of both. Workers are encouraged to take time out of their week for whatever they want - whether that's a gym class during the day, finish early to go to the theatre, or pick up their children from school. Job openings: HR, operations, legal Aviva Sector: Insurance Employees: 9,500 Working policy: Aviva expects employees to split their time roughly 50/50 between home and one of its offices in London, Norwich, York and Edinburgh. Workers must be in at least two days each week if full-time. Job openings: Marketing associate, software engineer, cyber security specialist, data designer, risk manager Lockheed Martin Sector: Defence Employees: 122,000 (2,000 in the UK) Working policy: Flexible working at the global aerospace and defence company is offered through a scheme called 4XFlex. This allows employees to work compressed hours, essentially giving everyone Friday off. A large number typically work up to 50 per cent of the remaining four days of their week from home or wherever they wish. The company has 20 sites across the UK and its headquarters in London. Job openings: Business development manager, security officer Booking.com Sector: Tourism Employees: 23,000 globally Working policy: Staff have the choice to work from home or in the office at the holiday booking company's Manchester base, and most do a bit of both. Staff can also work abroad for up to 20 days a year. Job openings: None currently in the UK Softcat Sector: IT Employees: 2,000+ Working policy: The IT infrastructure company, based in Buckinghamshire, offers hybrid working, flexible start and finish times, as well as 'duvet days' - time off that employees can take without notice, separate from holiday time, perhaps for self-care or other personal reasons. Job openings: Sales, invoice and marketing executives, customer services roles Microsoft Sector: Technology Employees: 6,000+ in the UK Working policy: Microsoft has various work policies depending on the area of the business an employee works in. Some roles are 50 per cent work from home, others are 100 per cent and some roles are fully office-based at its main site in Reading. Job openings: Incident and response engineer (fully remote), account managers, technology engineers, sales managers Centrica Sector: Energy Employees: 20,000 Working policy: The British Gas owner offers flexible and hybrid work, with staff allowed to work two to three days from home where roles allow. Job openings: Marketing specialists, ecommerce roles and commercial contracts Rightmove Sector: Digital / property Employees: 1,000 Working policy: The UK's number one property website encourages hybrid working, with staff aiming to do three days a week in its London or Milton Keynes office and two days from home. Job openings: Telephone account managers (fully remote), product designers Elvie Sector: Technology (women's health) Employees: 200+ Working policy: Elvie, which sells a variety of products for women, including a pelvic floor trainer and a breast pump, offers flexible working hours and employees can choose the days they come into the office. The company, which has offices in Bristol and London, says it's the norm for staff to regularly work from home. Employees get every other Friday off, meaning they do a nine-day fortnight. Job openings: People lead (maternity cover) Sage Sector: Software Employees:  11,000 Working policy: Software accounting company Sage offers hybrid working, with staff expected to come into its Newcastle office two to three days a week, depending on the department. Staff can also work from anywhere overseas for up to ten weeks a year. Job openings: Marketing, sales, customer service Experian Sector: Technology Employees: 3,316 Working policy: Most of the credit score firm's UK staff are based at its Nottingham office, but it also has an office in London. The company encourages employees to come into the office two to three days a week through a flexible hybrid approach. Job openings: Risk analyst Hiscox Sector: Insurance Employees: 3,000+ Working policy: Hiscox adopts a hybrid working approach. The insurer does not specify a number of days that employees have to be in the office. It's up to individual teams to decide what works best for them. In general, staff do not work solely from home. Job openings: Underwriter, head of events, compliance officer Spotify Sector: Music / Technology Employees: 7,000 (1,000 in the uk) Working policy: Spotify's Work From Anywhere programme allows employees to embrace greater freedom and flexibility. Employees can choose to work where they work best - whether that's at home, at the office, or somewhere else entirely. The company provides employees with equipment and support so they can connect and collaborate with colleagues remotely. Job openings: Digital engineer, data scientist, legal counsel, global account lead Nationwide Sector: Banking Employees: 18,000 Working policy: Office-based workers at the building society's main site in Swindon have the flexibility to work up to three days a week from home. Job openings: Marketing consultant, risk manager, HR consultant Pearson Sector: Publishing Employees: 20,000 Working policy: Pearson's Global Remote Working Policy supports a hybrid working approach, and many employees have flexibility in their location and working hours. Around 60 per cent of the workforce work on a hybrid basis and 20 per cent are fully remote. Job openings: Customer service technical support administrator (fully remote) Linklaters Sector: Legal Employees: 5,000+ Working policy: Employees at the London law firm can work remotely for up to 50 per cent of their time. Job openings: Lawyers, paralegal, HR manager Money Wellness Sector: Personal finance Employees: 250 Working policy: Based in Manchester, Money Wellness is an organisation commissioned by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to deliver free debt and budgeting help. Its workers in advisory positions tend to come into the office. Support staff around the UK work on a remote or hybrid contract. Job openings: Customer support roles Rolls-Royce Sector: Defence Employees: 42,000 (21,000 in the UK) Working policy: Rolls-Royce, which is separate to the car company Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, offers flexible working for all employees, including part-time, job share or term-time working. Staff can work remotely, on-site or through a hybrid arrangement, if their role allows. Job openings: Project planner - submarines Mastercard Sector: Payments Employees: 33,400 globally Working policy: Flexible working is facilitated at the payments processing company, with a minimum of three days a week in the London office. Job openings: Marketing manager, business development manager TSB Sector: Banking Employees: 5,000 Working policy: The bank offers hybrid working for its non-branch and customer service roles, with some departments recommending two days a week in one of its offices in London, Edinburgh, Birmingham or Gloucester. Job openings: Tech lead, data and software engineer Pensionbee Sector: Investments Employees: 193 Working policy: Based in London, this online pension provider offers a remote-first and flexible working environment to support work-life balance beyond the standard 9-5. Carers are provided with additional leave days to accommodate the demands of parenthood or other caring responsibilities. Job openings: None currently Monzo Sector: Banking Employees: 3,000+ Working policy: Employees at the bank can choose when to work from home or come to an office, with some roles fully remote. Workers have access to the right equipment to do their jobs comfortably at home. Job openings: Credit risk manager (fully remote), credit analyst Virgin Media O2 Sector: Telecoms Employees: 16,000 Working policy: Where a role can be performed remotely, Virgin Media O2 supports hybrid and flexible working. Employees are able to work from home for part of the week, but are expected to come into an office in London or other parts of the UK to get together and collaborate on a regular basis. Job openings: Business development manager, finance graduate Serco Sector: Outsourcing Employees: 30,000+ Working policy: The UK-based provider of public services adopts a hybrid working policy for staff where possible. Staff can work up to three days a week from home or elsewhere. Job openings: Quantity surveyor, bid writer, people manager Vodafone Sector: Telecoms Employees: 9,361 in UK Working policy: Berkshire-based Vodafone has a 'Remote Ways of Working' policy which covers hybrid working, meaning employees can work from both home and their 'hub' location two to three days a week or eight days a month. Employees can work up to 20 working days internationally. Job openings: Marketing manager, digital designer, compliance manager BT Sector: Telecoms Employees: 77,000 in UK Working policy: BT operates a 3:2 policy for office-based workers. This means three days in the office and two from home. There is a 'BT Passport' to document the requirements of employees who have special needs that can sometimes impact on their working life. BT has several offices across the UK. Job openings: Service desk analyst, engineering manager WeTransfer Sector: Digital Employees: 300+ Working policy: The London-based digital storage company's 'Work from Elsewhere' policy enables employees to work abroad for up to 30 days a year. It also allows hybrid, flexible working and shorter working days over the summer. Job openings: None currently in the UK Which? Sector: Consumer Employees: 630 Working policy: The consumer champion offers a hybrid working model. Each department and role will have different terms that work best for their teams, but typically there are team days and up to two other events each week that require office attendance in London. Which? also offers flexible hours, part time and job shares. Job openings: News editor, campaigns officer Tui Sector: Tourism Employees: 4,500 non operational workers Working policy: The travel company allows hybrid working from its main Bedfordshire office, including the opportunity to work overseas for up to 30 days a year through the 'TUI Workwide' scheme, if the role and team set up allows. Job openings: UI designer, finance analyst, cruise accountant Wise Sector: Technology (global money transfers) Employees: 5,500 (1,000 in UK) Working policy: This fintech company offers hybrid working from its main London office, with the flexibility to work from home or elsewhere to balance their personal life and other commitments. Employees can work virtually from anywhere in the world for up to 90 days a year. Job openings: Global partnerships executive, data scientist Xero Sector: Technology Employees: 4,322 globally Working policy: The New Zealand-based technology company that provides cloud-based accounting software for small businesses offers its UK employees hybrid working across offices in Manchester, Milton Keynes and London, as well as having a number of fully remote workers. Job openings: Software engineer, sales manager (fully remote) Zurich Sector: Insurance Employees: 60,000 (4,500 in UK) Working policy: Employees at the insurance company can choose their location, working hours and how they work. The company, which has several offices across the UK, says some staff are specifically on homeworker contracts. Job openings: Underwriter, software engineer BAE Systems Sector: Defence (aerospace) Employees: 100,000 (45,700 in the UK) Working policy: This aerospace and military firm offers different types of hybrid working arrangements depending on the role and location. The company says its people are 'trusted and empowered' to determine a pattern that works for them, their team and its customers, although staff typically don't work fully remotely. Job openings: Software engineer, business consultant, finance assistant