As people start to return to the office, new research has revealed that just over half of employers predict staff will transition to a new ‘hybrid’ model of being part-remote and part-office workers.
The survey, compiled by Hays, questioned 13,500 professionals and employers and found that 59% of staff had already returned to work, with more employers in the North East (72%) and the North West (68%) saying staff are returning compared to just 44% in Greater London.
Most organisations (44%) have returned to the office using split shifts with teams alternating the days they work in the office and at home, or working one week at home and one in the workplace. Other measures taken by organisations are a voluntary return (39%) and staggered hours (33%), where team members start and finish at different hours to avoid peak travel times.
According to the report, a hybrid model of remote and office-based work is likely to be the future way of working. Alongside employers, 51% of staff would like to be working in a hybrid model in six months’ time. Less than a quarter (22%) wish to be based fully in the workplace.
Interestingly, preference differs across generations, as over a third (34%) of Gen Z (born after 1995) would prefer to be working in the office full time, compared to just 21% of Gen X (1961-1982) and Gen Y (1983-1995).
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Email JaimeSimon Winfield, Managing Director of Hays UK & Ireland, said, “The health and safety of staff needs to remain the top priority when reopening offices and initially this ought to happen on a voluntary basis to take into account those who are unable to return for their own personal reasons. However, companies need to look to the future now too. There’s been a seismic shift with demands for sustained flexible working and this looks set to continue on a scale never seen before.
“Yet the responses indicate that people might have had enough of working solely at home. The greatest demand is for a new hybrid way of working – staff want a balance between office life and working remotely, which is now far closer in their sights than ever before. As more organisations start to work in a hybrid working arrangement, maintaining the company culture and ensuring communication is transparent needs to be a key consideration for employers. Remind your team that every employee – whether they are in the office or at home – has a role to play in sustaining the company’s culture for the next era of work.”
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