Most people who switched to homeworking during the pandemic plan to work in a hybrid capacity moving forward, according to data from the ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.

Improved staff well-being was the most common reason for businesses using, or planning to use, homeworking permanently. Reduced overheads, increased productivity, reduced carbon emissions, and the ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool rounded out the top five reasons for firms adopting hybrid for their new ‘business as usual’.

Workers were asked about their future plans in February 2022, after government guidance to work from home when possible was lifted in England and Scotland. At that time, 84% of workers who had to work from home because of the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to carry out a mix of working at home and in their place of work in the future.

While the proportion of workers who planned to hybrid work at all has not changed much since April 2021, that hybrid working pattern has shifted more in favour of spending most working hours at home.


Is hybrid working here to stay? See the next issue of CIR Magazine for an in-depth look at the ONS's findings.

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