NEARLY a quarter of office workers in the South East would accept a pay cut to switch to permanent homeworking, a survey suggests.

Financial services company Hitachi Capital UK found 23 per cent of workers in the region and 27 per cent nationally would make the deal.

In London, 40 per cent of office workers would be willing to sacrifice some pay if it meant they could ditch their regular commute for good, compared with only 13 per cent in the South West.

Those aged 25-34 were the most likely to consider taking a pay cut, with 35 per cent willing if it meant the reduction was less than their usual travel spend and there was increased flexibility from their employer.

The Generation Z age group aged 24 and under, meanwhile, were most likely to want permanent full-time working from home, with 39 per cent indicating they would like this.

Men were particularly likely to say that spending time with family would be a key incentive for them to work remotely, the research found.

On average, people were prepared to take an eight per cent pay cut in exchange for permanent, full-time homeworking, according to the survey of 1,000 office workers across the UK.

Two per cent were even prepared to see their pay slashed by a fifth if it meant they could work from home permanently.

Those earning between £30,000 and £40,000 were particularly willing to take a pay hit in return for homeworking, with around a third agreeing.

This compared with just a fifth of workers earning more than £40,000.

Among those earning less than £18,000, 27 per cent would consider a pay cut, as would 31 per cent of people earning between £18,000 and £29,999.

Despite the desire for more flexibility, many people surveyed also saw upsides to returning to the office. More than a quarter in the South East said being able to socialise with colleagues was found to be a major factor for returning to the office.