Almost half of all employers say staff broadband bills should be claimed back

New research undertaken by leading price comparison website, MoneySuperMarket reveals the cost of working from home is costing Brits £11.94 per month in broadband bills.

The average Brit spends eight hours and 35 minutes per week using their home broadband for work purposes, in addition to this 13-hours and 45 minutes is spent per week for personal use.

But at what cost?

MoneySuperMarket calculates the hours spent using home internet to do work represents more than a third (38 per cent) of their total monthly usage. Whilst the average monthly broadband bill comes in at £31.08, this results in £11.94 being spent for their employer’s benefit.

Three quarters of workers have never claimed back broadband expenses from their employer, despite 40 per cent believing that the entire broadband bill should be an eligible expense if used for any work from home.

On the whole, almost half of company owners, board directors and director-level staff (47 per cent) believe the full amount should be expensable.

Additionally, with almost three quarters (73 per cent) of workers spending at least one hour every week working online at home, a number of people could claim back this expense if they currently do not.

Emma Spencer, broadband expert at MoneySuperMarket, said, “Working from home is a benefit that many UK workers enjoy, but it’s interesting to consider the tools, like broadband, that they need to do so, and the potential associated costs.

“Brits are busier than ever, so with more employees working from home or checking emails during their commute, it’s unsurprising that they may need to use personal broadband or data allowances to get their work done.

“If you work from home, you may need faster broadband, especially if you regularly download large files or use video conferencing, so a fibre optic package may be better for you. It’s also worth remembering that some packages have a monthly usage limit, which means once a cap is reached, you may experience slower speeds or be charged a fee for over-use.

“There are a number of unlimited deals available which could be worth considering if you work from home, or if you work on the go, then the best option might be a mobile broadband dongle.”