Hybrid working grew in Great Britain even as Covid rules eased, data shows
More than a third of working adults in Great Britain spent at least part of their time working from home this spring, an official survey of working patterns shows, with the proportion of people hybrid working growing even as Covid restrictions eased.
More than four in five workers – 84% – told the Office for National Statistics (ONS) they wanted to continue splitting their time between home and the office after the pandemic, while the ONS also found hybrid working patterns had shifted towards employees spending more working hours at home.
Ever since the pandemic shook up working patterns and location, the majority of employees have been demanding more flexibility, in marked contrast to the government’s recent push to bring workers back to city centre desks to boost the service businesses dependent on trade from passing office workers.
The Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, was widely criticised after it emerged he had toured government departments to monitor how many civil servants were present, leaving notes on empty desks. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson claimed staff working from home might be easily distracted by making coffee and eating cheese, as he had, adding that he believed people are “more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas” when surrounded by colleagues.
The ONS found improved work-life balance was reported to be the main benefit of working from home for at least some of the week, cited by 78% of the workers who split their time between office and home.
Meanwhile, half (52%) of hybrid workers told the survey they found it quicker to complete their work at home, mostly because there were fewer distractions, while almost half (47%) reported improved wellbeing as a result of increased home working.
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