Freedom Day is upon us! July 19th has finally been and gone, and we can all start turning our thoughts towards a return to a relative sense of normality, both in terms of our professional and our social lives, thinking about how we can bounce back from the pandemic and what this means on a practical level.
The increase in remote working since Covid
Where the world of work is concerned, the last year and a half has certainly been an interesting one and businesses have had to adapt and evolve very quickly indeed in the face of the coronavirus crisis in order to keep their operations going throughout… with working from home a serious necessity in order to curb the spread of covid-19.
It certainly seems as though remote working is here to stay - and with good reason, since there are all sorts of incredible benefits associated with this kind of business model, for both employers and employees alike.
Flexible work schedules and employee wellbeing
For members of staff, it’s all about enjoying a better work-life balance and being able to set up shop wherever and whenever they like, potentially keeping their own hours and enjoying a certain level of autonomy over their jobs while still remaining productive and getting the job done, is sure to be incredibly empowering… businesses may even find that productivity levels increase, as a result!
And, for brands, offering a flexible working approach could even help them attract and retain the top talent in their field, which is definitely something to think long and hard about. In fact, new research from EY - part of its 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey - suggests that you might find it hard to fill positions if flexible working isn’t, indeed, on offer.
The study, reported on by People Management, found that almost half of staff members would actually consider quitting their job after the pandemic if flexible working wasn’t an option. Of those asked, 43 per cent of employees said they wanted flexibility over where they worked and 39 per cent said they wanted more choice over when they worked.
Interestingly, there’s even a new trend for combining summer holidays with the world of work, with further research - this time from Virgin Media O2 and YouGov - revealing that nomadic working trips are going to be big news over the next month or so, with employees working remotely from idyllic locations, instead of the office.
Flexible working and employee engagement
The benefits of flexible working really are far-reaching and extensive, and you’re sure to discover this very quickly if you do decide to offer it at your place of business. They include helping you to retain valuable members of staff, improving diversity, attracting the best talent, increasing productivity, improving employee engagement and lots, lots more. The only question that remains is: why weren’t we all working like this before?
Are you looking for flexible office space? Get in touch with the Ethical Property team today to see what we can do.