Return to the office

In England, government guidelines suggest that it is no longer necessary to work from home due to Covid. As a result, many companies are encouraging employees to rejoin the office. However, there has also been a growing trend of “hybrid working” (a mix of working from home and working from the office) and some companies have instated working from home for the foreseeable future. 

In fact, research by Gallagher insurance brokerage, one third of 1,000 surveyed employers in London stated they had faced resistance about the return to the office and over half of London employees are still working from home. Around the rest of the UK, only 18-20% are showing resistance about returning to the office. 

Personal preference

When asked why they do not want to return to the office, the main reason tends to be personal preference with many employees preferring the flexibility and work-life balance allowed by working from home. This is especially true for those who have to factor in childcare responsibilities.

Other top reasons cited for the preference include greater productivity or relocation. When comparing statistics from now versus in 2020, fewer people are choosing to stay home due to Covid (57% in 2020; 42% in 2022). Importantly, of those surveyed, the majority said that working from home does not impact their ability to progress in the company.

However, as a result of remote working, 60% of surveyed employees feel less connected to their work colleagues. 

Saving on costs

Another reason for continuing to work remotely is the amount of money it could potentially save. For those with a daily commute, not only are they saving hours of time per week by working from home, they are also saving significant transportation costs. 2020 data from The Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that UK employees save roughly £500 monthly by working from home, taking into account travel, food and clothing costs.

“This also applies from an employer perspective,” explains Richard Dent from consumer finance firm, FingerFinance.com.

“With employees realising they can do their jobs from the comfort of their own home, many are loath to return to the office. As a result, employers trying to recruit top talent need to offer as many ‘perks’ as possible.”

“One of the perks that has become essential is the ability to work from home, at least some of the time. The hiring market has become increasingly competitive so employers know that if they are going to recruit and retain talent, they must be able to offer work flexibility.”

Better technology available

It seems that many of those who were reluctant to embrace remote working in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic have come around to new ways of working, largely due to the advancements in technology that have happened for video-conferencing and other remote working tools in the past two years. 

We have been forced to become more accustomed to webinars and video calls in the place of face-to-face meetings and presentations and we have had to become more competent with Microsoft Teams and Zoom. As a consequence, many of the key functions of a physical workplace have been replaced.