"Chancing" it to get to work on standby tickets saves money, but is a sure-fire way to get fired if you delay a flight because you can't get to work. Secondly, you need to be really careful about how the UK works with tax going forward. If you're on the PAYE system with a payslip, resident for tax purposes, this new government will find you and get you. Once you owe a huge tax bill down the line that you've been cleverly avoiding, you can do a runner avoiding a court appearance, but should you ever end up in the UK again (such as a diversion) you'll be arrested and thrown straight in jail until you can appear in court. That is the law currently (check it out) and it's only going to get more strict on tax avoidance.
Simple answer, don't 'chance' anything. Make sure you're fully compliant.