ONS report concludes: hybrid working to influence commuting patterns

Home working and hybrid working (a combination of home and office) is here to stay and is likely to increase, with obvious impacts for public transport.

That’s the conclusion from new data by the Office of National Statistics, which reveals that almost half of homeworkers (46%) say their spending decreased since working from home.

While the majority spent more on electricity, gas and water (86%), half said they spent less on fuel and parking for commuting (50%), and two-fifths said their spending on commuting on public transport had reduced (40%).

When COVID restrictions were lifted, more than eight in ten people who had to work from home during the pandemic said they planned to hybrid work.

While the proportion of people who planned to hybrid work has changed little since April 2021, their hybrid working pattern has shifted in favour of spending most of their working hours at home.

Other surveys have shown that staff want to go into the office only two days a week, whereas employers would like them to be in three days a week.

That situation is likely to change, as the proportion of businesses using (or intending to include) homeworking as a permanent model increased from 16% in autumn 2020 to 23% in early April 2022. This varies significantly by industry.

The most common reasons for homeworking as part of a permanent business model are improved staff well-being (60%), reduced overheads (43%), and increased productivity (41%).

More than three-quarters (78%) of those who worked from home say that it gives them an improved work-life balance. A little over half say it is quicker to complete work (52%) and that they have fewer distractions (53%). Almost half also reported improved well-being (47%).

Since government guidance to work from home was lifted in February, the proportion of staff hybrid working has risen from 13% in early February to 24% in May. The percentage working exclusively from home has fallen from 22% to 14% in the same period.

Working from home varies by age and income bracket, with managers more able to work from home. People aged 30-49 and earning more than £40,000 a year are most likely to work from home or work in a hybrid way. Younger people and the lowest paid (up to £15,000 a year) are the most likely to travel to work (62%).