Millions of UK workers have had to adapt to working from home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic with many never having done so before. As such a significant change to the way in which people work, it is interesting to see how people’s attitude and performance has been impacted since switching to WFH.
A New Study
This is something that was recently studied by signage printing specialists instantprint who surveyed 1,000 Brits who have been working from home due to COVID-19. The study looked into all areas of working from home, including how people were spending the extra time not commuting.
Many Working More
There has always been a stigma attached to working from home with many employers fearful because they assume that employees will be slacking off. Interestingly, the survey revealed that over half (51%) of respondents actually were putting more time into their job since making the switch to WFH. It is thought that the lack of commute was the main reason that people were actually working more since leaving the office.
Some Working Less
15% of the respondents admitted that they were actually working fewer hours since the switch with 35% stating that they were working roughly the same amount of hours each week. Of course, everyone is different and these are extraordinary times so people will always differ in their approach, especially if they are new to remote working and/or if they do not have a suitable space for working from home.
The Future
Many businesses have reported an increase in productivity since switching to WFH along with other benefits, including lower costs. Consequently, there are many businesses that plan to continue with remote working even after the pandemic has ended. However, many have struggled and there are employees that will be keen to get back into the office so it will be interesting to see how companies approach WFH once the pandemic has ended.
Balance
Ultimately, from a business and employee standpoint, it is all about finding balance. Working from home can bring perks to both parties but people need to ensure that they are able to get their work done while still managing a good work-life balance and also being able to separate their work and home life – this is a huge challenge with remote work, especially when people are having to spend more time at home during the lockdown.
It is interesting to see how people have adapted to WFH in 2020 with many loving this way of working and some even working more than they were previously. Of course, this is not always the case and there are those that are working less and desperate to get back into the office. This means that it will be interesting to see what approach businesses take after the pandemic and whether or not remote work continues as the new normal.