A host of companies have recently asked their employees to work more from the office. During the days of the pandemic, working from home was a necessity for many. However, now there’s a big push from companies to get their employees back into the office. The push from remote work to the office, is it for the best?
Which companies have asked their employees to come back to the office?
In a strange twist of fate, the videoconferencing organisation Zoom, which is known for helping people work remotely, has told their employees to return to the office at least 2 days a week if they live within 50 miles of an office. They have retreated from their statement that staff could work remotely indefinitely.
Other companies that have asked their staff to work more from the office this year include Amazon, Disney, Goldman Sachs and Apple.
Which companies still have employees working remotely and what is the impact?
In the summer of 2021, the HMRC introduced flexible working practices allowing employees to work from home at least 2 days a week. However, this move has impacted their performance as they failed to meet any of their performance targets last year.
The number of employees at HMRC working on-site has decreased since the lockdown, an investigation by The Telegraph has found.
Only 3,000 out of the total 64,000 HMRC workforce are working full-time in an office over a standard five-day week.
The HMRC’s performance has been deemed “unacceptable”, which has led the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee to demand improvements within 3 months.
Their call waiting times have increased from 16 minutes to 22 minutes, which is significantly more than the 5-minute average wait time experienced during 2020-21.
What benefits are gained from working more on-site?
The Chancellor has warned that if a return to office-based work does not occur as the default, there will be a potential creativity crisis. He has also expressed the benefits of in-person interactions for team cohesion.
Benefits for organisations can include:
- Increased collaboration and innovation
- Stronger, more cohesive teams
- A more positive and defined company culture
- More nuanced communication due to being able to read body language
- Better employee mental health
Benefits for employees can include:
- Increased structure and routine
- Better chances for social connections
- A healthy work-life balance by leaving the workday at the office
- Reduced distractions at home and improved focus
- An increased feeling of being part of a team
What do companies need to bear in mind when reducing remote working?
The back-to-the-office push will impact women more than most. Some employees need flexible work to continue in their roles. During the pandemic, half a million women in the UK transitioned from part-time to full-time, enabled by flexible working patterns.
A section of women in the workplace has increased pressure due to a declining childcare system. There has been a loss of 4,000 childcare providers from 2021 to 2022. This year so far over 5,000 nurseries have closed.
The pressure is not just limited to women though. Research by the TUC has found that half of new fathers and partners eligible for paternity have had their request for flexible work rejected. This figure increases for those earning under £40,000.
The push from remote work to the office is the way to go for fully remote workers but hybrid working will need to be considered for many companies to attract and retain the best talent.
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