As Lockdown eases, more businesses are looking to embrace a flexible working environment, with employees mixing working from home and from the office.
Currently, the Lockdown restrictions still state employees are to ‘work from home if you can’. It is yet to be decided, pending a review, whether this will be lifted on June 21st. The BBC asked 50 of the largest whether they would be bringing their staff back full time, 43 of them said they would not. Instead, they will give employees the option to work from home two or three times a week.
Four companies said they were keeping the possibility of flexible working, or hybrid working, under review going forward. Those who decide to go forward with flexible working will need to carefully execute their plans. People who live alone, or do not have an office space to work from, often prefer working from the office.
Danny Harmer, Chief people officer at Aviva, told the BBC that 95% of its 16,000 UK workers would like to able to spend some of their time working flexibly from different locations. Adecco, a recruitment agency, saying four fifths of its employees now work remotely. They explain they are “encouraging their leaders to implement strategies that work for their business”.
Many of the businesses asked, which range from retailers to high profile banks, are introducing hybrid working. Many suggest they will leave the option to their staff, letting them choose how often they come into the office.
What do those working from home already think?
The new working plan has divided opinions amongst employees. Tom, a property manager, told the BBC that his commute is adds working hours to his day, costs him a lot and he doesn’t think it is necessary. He describes the ‘false familiarity’ as suffocating, a breeding ground for anxiety and mental health issues. He explains that working from home is more comfortable for him, with technology allowing information to be shared easily and peoples talent to shine through.
David Kimberly disagrees. He is excited to be back in the office, after returning to work two weeks ago. He prefers to have the mental separation between his home life and working life as a stock broker. In the winter, he finds it hard to ‘commute to the kitchen’. He is part of a fast working team and finds the delay in communication, even just 10 minutes, frustrating. He finishes by explaining that technology means you can not read someones feelings as you can’t gauge their emotions.
Will flexible working destroy other businesses?
With office spaces across the UK left empty, or welcoming limited staff back, trades that rely heavily on office footfall are struggling. They want employees to return to work as soon as possible.
Joao Almeida works at Panda Cup Coffee in London. Pre pandemic the location he works from had over 5,000 employees. Now, just 140 come into the building making it difficult to make money. Carl Forder, owner of Pottergate Pantry, in Norwich agrees with Joao. He saw an 80% drop in trade following Aviva’s decision to tell employees to work from home.
The closing of offices doesn’t only affect the hospitality trade but a number of other businesses. Cleaning agencies, hired to clean the offices, are unable to continue if they do not re open or may find their working hours reduced.
Hospitality need not worry. Many offices are still planning to stay open, accounting software Sage have just opened an 1,800 person office. WPP boss Mark Read says creative industries need to be back in the office. “Advertising, and creative industries, are something you learn from your colleagues. You can only do that, really, if you’re around them in the office.”
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