Employee experience | Is remote working still favoured for UK based employers and employees today?

Current work trends in the UK suggest that there is more focus than ever being given to the subject of remote working, with more organisations wanting a move back into the office, we discuss some advantages and disadvantages of remote working in 2024 and beyond!

Is remote working still effective for UK organisations?

Before the pandemic, remote and hybrid working had been gradually increasing in the UK. Between January and December 2019, around 12% of the workforce had worked at least one day from home in the previous week, and 5% reported working mainly from home. During the pandemic, these numbers surged to around 49% working at least one day from home in June 2020, with 11% exclusively working from home. Since then, as pandemic restrictions eased, the numbers have gradually decreased but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.

As of September 2022, approximately 22% of the workforce had worked at least one day from home in the previous week, and 13% worked from home exclusively.

The subsequent easing of lockdowns saw more people traveling to work and fewer working from home. Overall, remote and hybrid working has become more prevalent, offering benefits such as increased wellbeing, productivity, and work satisfaction, as well as new ways to collaborate through technology.