U.K. employees now want a blended approach when it comes to working even after the pandemic is gone, a new U.K. survey found.
It appears that the pandemic has permanently altered U.K. employees’ impression towards remote work. Now, they want a mixed approach, combining both office and work-from-home setup.
A mix of office and remote work
“We are never going to go back how things were before,” as to how the chief executive of the British Council of Offices (BCO)—the agency that conducted the survey—put it.
In the survey which involves 2, 000 U.K. office workers ranging from trainees to executives, most of the participants said they are ditching the traditional five-days-a-week-in-office type of work.
Rather, they want to divide their time through the mixed approach office and remote work.
The data also shows that 58% of entry-level workers and 62% of senior executives prefer an alternate work setup between work-from-home and office work.
Richard Kauntze, BCO’s chief executive, argued that U.K. employees have already thrown the concept of “five-day in the office” kind of work since the pandemic upended workplace systems.
“I think a much more blended approach is likely, two or three days in the office and two-three at home or wherever is going to be a much more typical pattern,” Kauntze said, per BCO News.
Previously, the national government launched a campaign urging white-collar employees to return to the office. But the campaign was put to a halt after Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised employees to remain working from home “if possible.”
WFH is not for everyone
The Institute of Directors also shares Kauntze’s sentiment.
The agency conducted its own poll as well and based on the results, about three-quarters expect remote work to continue once the health crisis is over. On the other hand, over half of the 1, 000 participants said they plan to lessen the long-term use of office buildings.
IoD’s director of policy Roger Barker, on the flip side, said that remote work is not for everyone and therefore the national government should help small companies invest in new technologies as they shift to the “new normal.”
In a statement reported by The Guardian, Barker explained:
“Working from home does not work for everyone, and directors must be alive to the downsides. Managing teams remotely can prove far from straightforward, and directors must make sure they are going out of their way to support employees’ mental wellbeing.”
The institution also believes that offices remain critical as means for social interactions as well as collaboration.
Images courtesy of Vlada Karpovich, Startup Stock Photos/Pexels