Reluctance to return to office felt by most businesses

Three-quarters of organisations say they have employees who are reluctant to return to the workplace as almost all employers are implementing hybrid working.

New data from HR resource XpertHR has revealed that 97% of UK organisations have deployed some form of hybrid working, despite employee reluctance to return to the workplace. The vaccination status of colleagues accounted for a significant proportion of reasons from those reluctant to return .

Almost a third (32%) of workers are spending most of their work time in the office.

XpertHR found that this hesitancy among employees was largely because of their preference to remain working remotely,  concern about Covid-19 cases in the local community, and wanting to avoid public transport. But, more than a quarter (26%) of organisations noted the reason for reluctance was because of concerns about vaccination status among  colleagues/local population.

Despite the trend for employers to call for return to a largely office-based future of work, candidates were placing flexible working as the top priority in the recruitment process, above pay, according to XpertHR.

Although there is reluctance from some employees to return to the workplace, 29% of UK organisations surveyed are implementing hybrid working for all employees and 32% are implementing hybrid working for some employees. Only 4% are not implementing hybrid working at all.

The most common split between in-office and remote working was three days at home and two in the office. Only 10% of companies thought hybrid working employees would be spending four days in the office and one at home.

In response to the advent of a new era of workforce organisation, four businesses in 10 (41%) were planning to introduce line manager hybrid training in this area, with a further 18% already doing so. Training was most likely to focus on the skills required to manage a hybrid team, including developing communications skills for all.

Although about a third (30%) of businesses had already implemented hybrid working for relevant employees by September, 16% of those surveyed said they were delaying the start of this new way of working. Several respondents reported that hybrid working arrangements were still in a trial phase.

Noelle Murphy, senior HR practice editor at XpertHR, warned that companies should take heed of employees’ desire for flexibility: “Many employees have made clear they have a preference for some form of hybrid working, while others feel there is little need to return to the workplace to carry out their work,” she said.

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“There is also a sizeable number of employees whose roles have been deemed unsuitable for hybrid working who may feel aggrieved about the lack of flexibility on offer. With the ‘great resignation’ and the ever-growing war for talent, employers who ignore or do not meaningfully engage with these employees will lose key talent and vital experience over the coming months that will be much needed as the world looks to move on from the pandemic.”

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