Remote work is not new, but in 2020 it is something that the vast majority have had a chance to experiment with due to the pandemic. There are many perks to working from home, such as no commute, greater flexibility and more time with loved ones, but is this something that people want to keep doing forever?
Remote Vs Office Working
While remote working certainly has its benefits, there are also those that have not adjusted well and will be desperate to get back to the office. This was something that was recently looked into by business card printing specialists instantprint who surveyed 2000 people who have been working at home during the pandemic and revealed some interesting results.
A Nation Divided
It seems that the nation is split when it comes to remote work with 34% of respondents stating that they loved remote working and never want to return to their normal working environment. Another third (34%) hoped to be back in the office at some point despite enjoying elements of remote work.
Benefits
For those that enjoy remote working, it seems that flexibility is key with 23% of people enjoying this and an additional 15% enjoying being able to juggle their work and personal life. Remote working can certainly bring many benefits to an employee and some even work better from home, but it is important to note that these people are likely to have a good setup at home which is not something that everyone has the luxury of.
Not for Everyone
For many people, they do not have a suitable space for working from home and there may be more than 1 person trying to work remotely which can be challenging. Distractions can also have a big impact and children (28%) and pets (20%) were found to be major distractions for those working remotely. It is clear that the setup that you have at home which will have a huge say in how beneficial remote working is and those that do not have a dedicated space for working and a busy household may be desperate to get back to the office.
The Future
What will happen next is hard to say and every business will have a different approach. While some businesses have already committed to full-time long-term remote work, there are others that may offer the option of staff coming in occasionally and then those that will look to bring back staff as soon as it is safe.
It has been interesting to see how people have adapted to remote work in 2020 and it is clearly working well for many people (and businesses). Despite this, there are those that are not enjoying remote work often because they do not have the best setup at home and these people will hope to return to normal sooner rather than later.
