Many UK professionals feel anxious about returning to the office

Although businesses are expected to allow their employees to return to the office gradually, many workers are still anxious about being back in full-time.

The CV-Library survey revealed that of the 1,100 workers questioned, 55.2% admitted that they feel anxious about going back to the office.

When asked their reasons for not wanting to return, they said:

• I prefer the flexibility of working from home (73.4%)
• I get more done when I’m not in the office (44%)
• I don’t want to deal with office politics (37.1%)
• I still feel uncomfortable because of Covid (33.2%)
• I have to commute a long way (23.6%).

Worryingly, as many as 73.9% of UK workers said that their employer hadn’t offered any sort of mental health support to help with the transition from remote to office working.

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder at CV-Library, commented, “The trend towards working from home was already gaining in popularity before the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020. However, as swathes of the UK population were forced to work from home, many have found they enjoy the benefits of working remotely and are eager to avoid returning to the workplace full-time.”

Biggins added, “After such a turbulent year, it’s understandable that businesses are keen to get staff back through the doors. However, it’s important the employers remain open to the idea of more flexible working patterns.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the UK job market in many ways, and the adoption of remote working is definitely one of them. Business owners need to listen to the needs of their staff and update their flexible working policy if needed. It’s clear that many companies can operate with the majority of their staff working remotely, so embracing this revolution is the best way to move forward throughout 2021.

“Any employers that fail to do so may find it increasingly difficult to retain and attract new team members during a vital time of recovery and as we emerge from lockdown and restrictions.”

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