03.03.2021

Just a quarter of office workers plan to return full-time according to research

Research from Ezra, one of the leading global providers of digital coaching, has revealed to what extent the current pandemic could change the face of the professional workplace on a permanent basis.

The trend of working remotely is one that has been largely forced on us due to lockdown restrictions and concerns over safety. However, for many it means more time at home and a positive increase in the work-life balance.

Despite the boss of Goldenman Sachs describing this current trend as ‘an aberration’ that will correct as soon as possible, it seems that the majority of UK office workers don’t agree.

Ezra’s study found that just 25% of those who work in an office plan to return to their workplace on a full-time basis once normality returns.

However, it seems a completely remote approach isn’t the answer either. Just 22% will remain working from home full-time, with just over half of office workers planning to split their time and work part-time from the office.

But will this have an impact on our ability to work and progress within the professional space?

Ezra also asked how working remotely had impacted productivity, as well as the opportunity to progress career-wise.

46% felt they were as equally productive at home, with 35% stating they were even more productive than they were at the office. Just 19% said working remotely had been detrimental to their productivity.

77% of those surveyed said that remote working also made no difference to their career progression opportunities, while 8% stated it had actually increased the opportunity to progress and just 15% thought it had reduced career progression.

Founder of Ezra, Nick Goldberg, commented: “It seems that the way we work could change on a permanent basis, as many intend to keep some flavour of remote working even when normality returns. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the advances in technology can easily facilitate a productive working environment without the need for employees to travel to the same physical location.

"This certainly won’t be the case for every company or every sector and it’s important to note that technology can only play a limited role in the success of remote working. The need for a human influence to manage, motivate and evaluate is still pivotal but the right balance of both technology and human can be as successful, if not more so, than the conventional place of work.”

Survey of 2,175 UK office workers carried out by Find Out Now (February 26th 2021).

Do you plan to return to the office when able to?
Answer	Respondents
Yes, but only part time	53%
Yes, full time	25%
No, I will stay working from home	22%

How has working from home impacted your productivity?
Answer	Respondents
Equally as productive	46%
More productive	35%
Less productive	19%

How has working from home impacted your opportunity to progress your career?
Answer	Respondents
No difference	77%
Decrease opportunity to progress	15%
Increased opportunity to progress	8%