Employers predict WFH is here to stay

Employers predict WFH is here to stay

The number of employees WFH is expected to double compared with pre-pandemic figures, according to a CIPD survey of employers.

The findings come in the week when the Prime Minister announced that advice to employers was changing from 1 August. Rather than encouraging people who could work from home to do so, organisations should now make their own judgment on who was safe to come back to workplaces. Whitehall is expected to set an example by returning “thousands” of civil servants back to their usual office desks.

Surveying 1,046 UK employers, the CIPD found that 37% of staff were expected to be WFH on a regular basis once the crisis is ‘over’. This compares with 18% of employees who had been WFH regularly before lockdown restrictions were imposed. Employers predicted that the proportion of staff WFH full-time will increase from 9% pre-lockdown to 22%.

Current employment legislation requires new employees to have worked for their organisation for at least 26 weeks before being eligible for flexible working. In the wake of its findings on the importance of WFH, the CIPD is calling for a change in legislation to make the ability to request flexible working a right from the first day of new employment. At the same time, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly been talking in terms of WFH becoming “the norm”.

“Home working has clearly been an important and sensible part of keeping more people safe during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said EAPA chair Eugene Farrell. “It’s also seen as an opportunity to help with workforce diversity, helping people with caring responsibilities, mobility issues or health concerns to have more of a level playing-field in their access to work. But as a long-term trend WFH is not an easy solution.

“Different people and personalities have responded to the lockdown experience of WFH very differently. A great part of the appeal of jobs and careers is how they provide a balance – time away from home, social contact, a stimulating mix of changes of scenery, challenges and rewards. Most of all, a structure. 

“While a relatively short period of WFH felt like a break for many employees, with no commute and more free time, a full-time or regular reliance on being at home will be a test of psychological and physical resilience, intense pressures on home life and relationships, a real need for employees to find ways to create their own new balance. Whether people are returning to workplaces or staying at home, support services like EAPs will be invaluable in helping people stay on top of multiple challenges and reach a workable, positive new way forward.”