'It's too soon' | Remote staff anxious about office returns, report finds

Now COVID restrictions have been lifted, employers are increasingly expecting their staff to stop remote working and return to the office – but not all workers are happy about it. New research by mental health expert and hypnotherapist David Samson has found that 41% of workers are anxious about returning to the office.

The research found that this anxiety wasn’t limited to any particular age group; 42% of respondents were aged 18-29, and equally, 42% of respondents were aged 30-44. Of those surveyed, 41% said that they felt that COVID restrictions had been lifted too early, and this was contributing to their anxiety about returning to the office.

74% of respondents said they found working from home a more relaxed experience than working in the office, with 67% saying they’d choose to continue working from home, should the opportunity arise. However, 41% also said that they’d be happy to return to the office.

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“It's clear that working from home has been a positive experience for most people. It's allowed us to escape the distractions and stress of the traditional workplace and find a more relaxed way of working,” David Samson says. “Returning to the office may bring with it some anxiety, but for many people it will also represent an opportunity to get back into the swing of things and resume their normal work routine. We just need to make sure we're prepared for any potential bumps in the road.”