Just one in ten workers want a return to the office full-time

JUST one in ten people want to go back to the workplace full-time in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, new research has revealed.

Of those with the option to carry on working from home once businesses reopen, two in five say they would like to continue working from home full time while almost half– 49% – would be happy to do a mixture of both.

But just over one in ten – or 11% – want to go back to the workplace full-time.

Christopher Paye, general manager of recruitment site Jobs.ie, which conducted the research among more than 3,700 people, said: ‘For many businesses in Ireland, Covid19 has made working from home the new normal – even for those who didn’t think it would be possible.

‘Equally, for employees who may have been on the fence about it before, it has brought positive benefits such as a reduced commute time, or in some cases, the ability to work flexible hours.

‘Following the Government’s most recent guidelines, which require all businesses to return to working from home until September 13, the question now is whether working from home will continue to be part of our everyday work life.’

The biggest concerns for staff who have yet to return to the workplace are adjusting to new Covid rules and using public transport to get there.

But the majority of employees say they will be ‘obliged’ to return to the workplace once it reopens, despite the virus still circulating in the community.

Mr Paye said: ‘From our research, it is evident that there is a demand among workers for flexible schedules that allow working from home, either on a full-time or parttime basis going forward.

‘For employers, this should be a key consideration when implementing return-to-work policies.

‘While some sectors will inevitably require teams to return to the premises, others will find that there is room for flexibility, and where possible, employers should look to incorporate this into their HR policies to ensure that employees feel safe and secure in their return to the workplace.’

The research, released yesterday, reveals that adjusting to the workplace poses some concerns for employees. Returning to the daily commute to work is what 35% of respondents look forward to the least, with 28% dreading adjusting to new workplace Covid protocols and 13% dread using public transport.

There is a mixture of returnto-work policies being put in place by employers, according to the survey findings. These include:

■ 59% of employees saying that they must return to the workplace when it reopens;

■ 23% have the option to work from home for a select amount of days per week;

■ 18% can continue to work from home full time if they choose to do so.

Businesses are also implementing a number of workplace health and safety rules, with HSE and public health guidance to ensure the safe return of employees to the workplace.

The most common safety measures being introduced include hand sanitising stations, 79%, more frequent cleaning schedules, 63%, and reduced capacity within the workplace, 61%.

A small number of businesses (5%) are introducing additional measures to protect employees based on their specific workplace like assigned seating, one-way entry and exit systems and lift protocols.

The figures are from 3,784 respondents to a survey posted on the Jobs.ie website between July and August.

‘Flexible schedules’

Mixture of policies