New survey shows impact of home working during pandemic

A new national survey looking into the experience of home working shows that 37% are finding it more and more difficult to work from home, but are prepared to carry on.

The survey of 2,000 people, commissioned by Moneypenny, showed that a further six per cent said they don’t feel they can work from home any longer, while 52% said they have got used to home working and won’t mind a longer lockdown.

According to the data, workloads seem to be reducing for some, as after more than three weeks in lockdown 24% of respondents said they feel like work is drying up, while 17% say they spend fewer hours on work each week compared with pre-lockdown times and admit to feeling guilty about this. However, 12% said they are actually spending more hours working than they would in the office.

Although lockdown seems to have blurred the boundaries between work and free time (73% said they are answering calls and emails after working hours), interestingly, 19% said they still dress up properly to feel like they are going to work instead of staying in pyjamas.

In terms of getting ready for work, 42% said they get up about an hour before their work starts, 17% get up about 30 minutes before work and 5% get up around 10 minutes or less before work.

Joanna Swash CEO of Moneypenny said, ‘It’s clear that many companies are relying on their staff having a full home office to enable them to work from home and companies should be auditing the facilities their staff need and providing them.

“We also have research that shows that 1 in 10 UK businesses are still sending staff into the office to answer phone calls which is not necessary when there are so many tech solutions available that don’t cost a fortune and can help provide efficient communications.”

To find out more about contracting please contact Charlie on 01442 795 100 or email charlie.brooks@contractorumbrella.com.