What future for hybrid working?

A new report by City AM reports that workers are 'ignoring' corporate demands for them to come into the office for a minimum number of days each week, in favour of their own hybrid structures suited to their tasks.

The study conducted interviews with 100 workers from major firms such as Goldman Sachs, NatWest, and PwC.

Significant points were that:

• remote-first policies had no detrimental impact on productivity – a finding which is consistent with many studies on hybrid and home working in recent months.
• interviewees believe that hybrid models help boost productivity. For example, time spent commuting could instead be used as work time.
• allowing for more flexibility helps reduce stress and burnout, as well as the subsequent staff absence and turnover that these issues can cause.

The 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey by EY found that more than half (54%) of employees surveyed from around the world would consider leaving their jobs post-pandemic if not given some form of flexibility in where and when they work.

These results give employment lawyers an early indication of where challenges will arise in future in terms of flexible working applications and reasonable adjustments arising out of disability situations.

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Authors

Victoria von Wachter

Call 1997

Related areas

Employment

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