ONS statistics show an increase in employees working from home

New statistics from the Office for National Statistic (ONS) show that, since Boris Johnson announced employees should work from home where they can, the number of people working solely from home rose by 3% – from 21% to 24%. Previously, the number of workers returning to the workplace had steadily been increasing.

As the world of work continues to fluctuate, it seems that remote working will not be taken off the table completely. Hema Bakhshi, a member of the Future Strategy Club (https://futurestrategyclub.com) – a lean and transparent co-agency with access to the finest freelancer talent – believes that the pandemic has shifted attitudes to work forever. Hema’s previous experience includes a position as the Director of the Future of Work at Santander bank, and so her experience has never been more relevant for helping firms adapt to the slew of changes brought about by the Covid crisis.

With this in mind, Hema discusses her take on how both businesses and employees may be finding their attitudes to work changing:

“We’ve long anticipated a change in attitude to work. Technology is constantly evolving, so really it was inevitable that this would impact the approaches we have towards our working lives. The lockdown was certainly unexpected but it showed that, when needed, we do have the technology and facilities required to cope with seismic shifts to our lives. Subsequently, we are witnessing the evolution of corporate work before our eyes. People are becoming far more creative in how they both value the world and the work they generate. As result, the world is rapidly shifting away from the culture of a 9-5.

Covid is not just a catalyst; it’s an opportunity for businesses to stop and think about how they get work done. This has also presented an opportunity to reshape how businesses approach their purpose, value to society, the ways in which they engage with their workforce and how integrated work and the home has become. If businesses don’t reflect their ethos to match up with these changes, I think that many will view this as a missed opportunity.”