Working from home is working better – UK employers

FILE PHOTO: A woman working from her computer at home is seen as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Oxford, Britain, on March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

LONDON — More employers in Britain say working from home is increasing the productivity of their staff, according to a survey published Thursday.

A third of employers think the shift to home-working has boosted productivity, up from 28% last June, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said.

Those who said working from home had decreased productivity fell to 23% from 28%.

“The pandemic has shown that ways of working that previously seemed impossible are actually possible,” Claire McCartney, CIPD senior policy adviser for resourcing and inclusion, said.

It remains to be seen how permanent the shift to working from home proves to be.

A survey published last week by accountants KPMG showed most major global companies no longer planned to reduce their use of office space after the pandemic, though few expect business to return to normal this year.

The CIPD said in a report more progress can be made to offer flexible hours: part-time work is used by 19% of staff but favored by 28%, and 3% of employees work full-time hours over fewer days while 19% would use the arrangement if available.

The CIPD survey was based on responses from 2,000 employers.