New CIPD research may give Conservative minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, pause for thought when it comes to his assessment of the virtues of working from home.
‘Bums on seats’
Mr Rees-Mogg was recently reported to have left notes on the desks of civil servants who were working from home, saying he was "sorry [they] were out when [he] visited". He went on to say that he looked forward to seeing them in the office very soon. It would appear that Mr Rees-Mogg is of the view that civil servants ought to be back in their offices following the relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown measures. But is he right to think that it’s better for people to be in the office rather than at home?
Recent research conducted by the CIPD suggests that perceptions of the effect of home working or hybrid working on productivity and efficiency have markedly changed over the last couple of years. Earlier in the pandemic, only about a third of employers believed that homeworking increased productivity within their business. However, by late 2021, this figure had increased to 41%. Only 18% of employers reported that it decreased their productivity, down from 23% the year before.
So what does this mean for the future?
Attitudes towards homeworking and hybrid working appear to have changed, with employers being significantly more positive about their impact on productivity. However, many employers have yet to make longer-term decisions about how they propose to structure their businesses in the future. So whilst it certainly feels like the balance between home and office based working has shifted for good, the true extent of this shift has yet to be determined.
What about you?
How have you adjusted to the use of home working or hybrid working over the last couple of years? Do you see this as a permanent change in the way you work? We’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Also, if you would like to read more about the CIPD research, click on the link below:
https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/media/press/260422home-hybrid-working-increased-productivity#gref
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