One of the enduring legacies of the Covid pandemic was the expansion of home working, as work suits were swapped for onesies, and the boardroom table for the kitchen table.
Successive lockdowns and enforced social distancing introduced, arguably, the greatest change in working arrangements since the industrial revolution.
And for a time, employers and workers alike believed that serendipity had delivered to them the secret of alchemy.
Staff loved being able to set their own workplace conditions and an end to the gruelling commute. Businesses welcomed not having to pay extortionate city centre office rents and the costs of capital equipment.
But two years on, attitudes appear to be changing, as more employers realise that home working is not the account ledger panacea they through it was.
Major global companies, including Goldman Sachs, Google, Meta, Disney and Twitter are among those to have reduced the flexible working options available to teams, in the hope of boosting culture and productivity.
While some employees continue to enjoy the benefits of falling out of bed and switching on their PC, others are less convinced that the flexibility and convenience of home working really does add up to a better work-life balance.
Several recent studies have suggested that our love affair with home working might be waning.
Research by MHR, a software provider specializing in HR, payroll, and finance, revealed that 51% of employees preferred working in the office with flexible hours, compared with just 41% who said they would rather work from home with structured hours.
The survey of 1,200 office workers showed that 41% of respondents reported a perceived decline in support from management and team members while working from home.
For MHR’s CEO, Anton Roe, the findings suggest the atmosphere and camaraderie of working in an office cannot be easily replicated in a remote work setting.
However, attitudes are not universal, with studies highlighting highlighted inequalities in who benefits most from remote working.
Managerial and professional employees are far more likely to be offered the chance to work from home, compared with manual and clerical workers, giving rise to claims that it has become little more than a bourgeoise perk.
A recent survey of 2,000 UK adults by Censuswide on behalf of flexible office experts Space32, found that working from home is the most valued ‘perk’ amongst office workers, with more than half – 51% – saying they would sacrifice other benefits to keep this flexibility.
Health insurance and gym memberships, were the first thing respondents said they would be willing to forego to work from home, followed by their salary, annual bonus or next promotion.
Again, there was a generational divide, with Gen Z valuing working from home the most, while three quarters of 18-24 year-olds saying they would rather lose other perks than work from the office full time.
Meanwhile another recent study, examining attitudes toward work across 24 countries, suggested the pandemic may have been influential in changing general attitudes to work, particularly among young people.
Since Covid lockdowns disrupted work patterns and highlighted the need for reevaluating work-life priorities, many people appear to have rethought their relationship with their employers and now question whether working long hours served their best interests.
One of the most notable shifts has been generational, according to the World Values Survey (WVS), with millennials much less likely to prioritise work above all else.
In 2009, 41% of millennials felt this way; by 2022, this had dropped to 14%. Gen X and Gen Z respondents also exhibit a reduced inclination to prioritize work, while almost half of those from the pre-war generation still consider work the most important thing in their lives.
According to Laura Cloke, a career fulfilment coach, young people are more cautious about potentially negative workplace cultures than their elders.
People are not necessarily losing passion for their jobs, but they no longer see work as the most important thing in their lives. In today’s world, work-life balance and setting healthy boundaries are gaining significance, according to Cloke.
Dr. Kirstie Hewlett, a research fellow at the Policy Institute, also emphasizes the positive aspects of this shift.
While it might be tempting to label this trend as “lazy Brits,” she said, the reality is that deprioritising work has its benefits. It can lead to a workforce that focuses on maintaining a work-life balance, which, in turn, contributes to better mental and physical health, personal relationships, and other aspects of life.
The collective message from successive studies appears to be that, while employers’ attitudes to working from home and flexible working have improved since the pandemic hit, many still believe working long hours is necessary for people to achieve career progression.
Bosses also recognise the economic value of having staff work together on-site, where they can collaborate more effectively and experience the nuances of interaction that might be lost in remote work.
Having staff work from home, while offering efficiency in some cases, can lack the effectiveness of in-person interactions.
Certain roles, particularly those involving physical tasks or specialised equipment, cannot be effectively performed remotely. For instance, laboratory work, manufacturing, and many hands-on jobs require a physical presence at the workplace.
The future of remote work has also raised questions about the vitality of city centres. Vacant shopfronts and the decline of the high street have been accelerated by remote work and e-commerce.
Prior to the pandemic, the vibrancy of high streets in the UK varied greatly, with city centres driving economic strength and demand for local businesses.
The presence of well-paid office workers underpinned the success of high streets, as these workers fuelled demand for shops, cafes, and restaurants.
However, Covid lockdowns and the rise of remote work disrupted this relationship. As workers shifted to working from home, local businesses that relied on their daily footfall saw a significant drop in customers.
The reopening of the economy did not witness a full return of workers to the office, raising questions about the impact of remote work on high streets that depend on office workers.
The pandemic also highlighted the importance of office workers in shaping the composition of high streets.
City centres with more workers had a wider variety of amenities and fewer vacant units. The food and drinks sector thrived, as office workers spent on lunchtime meals and after-work drinks.
In contrast, weaker city centres have struggled to sustain more than essential amenities, due to a lack of jobs and well-paid employment. However, the absence of office workers, even as some return to the office, has hampered high street recovery, particularly in the food and drinks sector.
In the short-to-medium term, the fate of many local businesses is closely tied to the return of office workers, as high streets adapt to changes in demand.
Policymakers must focus on job creation, supporting city centres as places of business, and fostering adaptability to repurpose vacant units and utilise space flexibly. Beyond the impact of remote work, high streets will face additional challenges in the near future, such as the cost of living crisis.
Working in a onesie may have its attractions, but it shouldn’t be prioritised at the expense of the economy.
Ivor Campbell is Chief Executive of Callander-based Snedden Campbell, a specialist recruitment consultant for the medical technology industry.
