More than half of employees want to return to office life to improve their mental health after the isolation of remote working.
This is the finding of new research by Canada Life, which revealed that 58% of those who will return to workplaces plan to do so because they are actually looking forward to it.
Those keenest to return are younger employees aged 18-34, with two-thirds (66%) wanting to go back and expecting their mental health to improve as a result.
Most said they were looking forward to the ‘buzz’ of the office – a feature more notable for women, where 70% wished to experience this again. Similar percentages of employees (67%) also said they wanted more access to their team members.
Commenting on the results Dan Crook, protection sales director at Canada Life, said: “The research clearly shows many employees are looking forward to being back in the physical workplace and enjoy the interaction and support from their colleagues.”
He added: “Employers should not take this position for granted and should strive to be ready to support employees with the transition back to the office.”
As well as the boost to their mental health and wellbeing that returning to the office will give, the research also revealed more than a third of staff (37%) wanted flexible hours; while 37% also hoped for a phased return to the workplace.
However, some 37% of employees polled still wanted to wear face masks, while 35% wanted desks to be spaced out more, according to the research.
