Four in five UK workers believe that social aspects of the workplace have suffered at the hands of more flexible working arrangements, according to a new survey.
Considering the same research also discovered that 71% of respondents now benefit from such flexible arrangements, it suggests a huge impact on office culture that could lead to the social element of the workplace going ‘extinct’ altogether.
Despite the majority of survey subjects admitting to slacking more than they should at home, the results appear to show that they also think they are no less productive when working in remote jobs.
Social Workplaces Becoming Extinct
The survey carried out on behalf of the Global Payroll Association (GPA), asked 1,006 UK office workers about their current working arrangements (see the full results here) and sheds further light on where people are working and how that affects their performance and personal lives.
The results show that only 29% now work in the office full time, with just over half entitled to work a flexible arrangement between the office and home, and 19% working entirely remotely.
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A massive 78% of respondents responded ‘yes’ to a question asking whether they felt social aspects of the workplace had suffered due to flexible working arrangements, with 81% affirming that they think such social aspects are important.
“Allowing people to work from home is clearly a positive for many employees… It’s also clear that the social element of the workplace is starting to become extinct and this is extremely important, both when it comes to internal bonding within the workforce, as well as nurturing those all important external relationships that can be so important in getting deals over the line.” – Melanie Pizzey, CEO of Global Payroll Association
61% also said that they believe that socializing with colleagues outside of the workplace – through, for example, afterwork drinks – is important to establish a strong office culture.
Productivity Not a Problem
The survey also asked the 1,000+ workers about their productivity levels in and out of the office.
Only a quarter believe that they are most productive in the office, with 37% saying that they work best at home and a further 37% saying a balance between the two gets the most out of them. Indeed, over half (56%) said that they are prone to working longer hours when at home.
However, it may justify the concerns of CEOs pushing for a return to the office that a little under two thirds of workers said that they often take more time than they should to relax (e.g. taking a nap, watching tv, etc) when working remotely.
And 70% admitted to spending too much time performing personal tasks, such as running errands, when back at home.
Fitter, Happier, More Productive?
Unsurprisingly considering the seismic shift in the way we work over the last few years, there have been various studies carried out of late into the effect – whether positive or negative – of remote and hybrid working models.
Only a few weeks ago, a survey from Great Place to Work found that remote workers are happier, with 27% more likely to look forward to doing their job. And a report from technology developer Scoop suggested that companies with remote working policies show higher revenue growth.
But findings like those hasn’t deterred some of the planet’s biggest tech companies from ending fully remote work. Elon Musk’s companies and Rockstar have been among the highest profile firms that have ordered their staff back to the office, with Dell also cracking down on remote workers in a conspicuously heavy-handed manner.
