Workers left confused by office return

MORE than half of workers who have been asked to return to offices do not understand the guidance from their employers, according to recruitment giant Michael Page.

It said employers are not doing a good enough job of making sure workers have all the information they need to return to the office, after months of working from home due to the pandemic.

The recruitment group said that just over half of employees are confused about what their bosses want and do not fully understand the guidance they have been given. It also said that 14 per cent do not feel comfortable enough to ask their bosses questions about office policies on their return.

Michael Page UK managing director Nick Kirk said that business leaders need to outline quickly how much, or how little, they expect their staff to be in the office as many workers do not know what their hybrid or flexible working rights are.

“There is an information vacuum which has led to confusion amongst office workers,” he said. “Maintaining open and constructive dialogue with staff is crucial.”

Kirk added that as 20 per cent of workers do not want to work for a company that does not offer flexible working, employers need to settle on and communicate their policies for being in the office as soon as possible.

“Employers need to think about how their policies will impact them when it comes to retaining and attracting talent,” he said. “People want to keep hold of the freedom to decide their working arrangements, so bosses need to factor this in.”