Thursday, 03 Sep 2020 11:14 GMT

Uncertainty remains over office return

The UK government has launched a new campaign encouraging people to return to their workplaces, despite a new study showing the majority of workers would prefer to continue working from home.

Workplaces, including many print facilities, were forced to temporarily close in March due to restrictions over the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

While many workers were furloughed, some were able to work from home, with the aim of keeping companies operating throughout the crisis.

But with measures being eased in the UK, the government is now keen for more people to return to their places of work, ahead of the end of its furlough scheme.

Business leaders raised concerns about the damage being done to city centre as people continue to work from home, and the new government-led campaign will seek to get more workers back in the office.

However, new research released by academics in Cardiff and Southampton show that the majority of people would prefer to continue working from home in some capacity, despite the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

From the thousands of people that were surveyed three times between April and June this year, 90% would like some element of working from home, while half say they want to work from home either full time of most of the time.

Other key findings include that over 40% of respondents said they were able to get as much work done while working from home, compared to working at a workplace, while those who spent all of their time working from saw an increase in productivity.

Sign is one of many industries where working from home is simply not possible for all staff, with workers required on site to control machinery, carry out checks and oversee production lines.

However, as has been shown by many sign companies across the UK, working from home remains a realistic prospect for some staff, including those working in admin and sales.

If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail news@signlink.co.uk

Follow Rob on:
Sophie Jones' Twitter Profile