UK: Two fifths of workers have no plans to return to the office

A YouGov survey has found that nearly two fifths of workers have no plans to return to their place of employment, preferring instead to work from home.
The recent survey found that 71 per cent of people prefer working from home while 58 per cent feel it boosts their productivity.
The research, conducted on behalf of The Times, also found that only 9 per cent of people have permanently returned to the office since work from home guidance ended.
Meanwhile, 26 per cent of people have returned to their desks part time while 63 per cent continue to work remotely.
Perhaps most revealing is that a staggering 39 per cent say they will work from home for good.
The research also found that footfall on the Underground was up 10 per cent in the week with 1.17 million entry and exits recorded on the Tube in the week after working from home guidance was axed.
Pressure has been piled on union bosses and Whitehall mandarins by Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay who wants there to be no delay in getting civil servants back to their desks. Some departments have indicated that they may only be asked to come back in for a few days a week in some departments.
According to Barclay the number of his staff at their desks had now tripled and was close to pre-pandemic levels. Previously he had told the Standard: “Now we are learning to live with Covid and have lifted Plan B measures, it’s time to get back to full speed in all parts of Whitehall as well as London. The civil service has played a leading role in helping the country tackle the pandemic.
“It’s important that we now see the maximum use of our office space as we build a strong recovery after the disruption of the pandemic.”
Unfortunately the research did not correlate the findings with the views of business owners and bosses who may have a different view to the workers who have no plans to return to the office. Recent research in this area suggesting that more than 600,000 people have left the job market rather than go back to their office or former place of work.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.