UK businesses believe employees will work from home an average 2.8 days each week, according to a new survey.
National digital transformation business Crown Records Management carried out the research, which asked employers across the country for their plans regarding working from home.
It revealed that 35% expected staff to work three days a week from home in the future, with 15% answering four days, 24% two days and 11% saying five days. A total of 6% said they would end remote working altogether and 30% answered that helping employees work from home is a “major” driver for digital transformation.
When asked how they felt about the future of working from home, 47% said it is here to stay and that people will split their time between home and the office in future. Just over one-quarter (27%) answered that remote working will remain and most people won’t return to the office, and 26% believe it is just a trend and sooner or later all staff will be back in the office.
Antony Biondi, head of enterprise content management at Crown Records Management, commented that there is a clear message from businesses across the country that remote working is here to stay, with almost all employers planning a hybrid model.
“It doesn’t mean that five-day office weeks are entirely a thing of the past, there will always be some sectors where that remains the preference. But it does show that businesses need to be prepared for a robust and forward-leaning home-working policy in the long term,” he said.
Biondi added that the overall picture from the results was that working from home is not just a short-term trend delivered because of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, as businesses were already leaning towards a hybrid model even before Covid-19 arrived, and the last 18 months have accelerated it.
