During the height of the pandemic, Sky News reported that 8.4 million of the UK and Northern Ireland’s workforce were working from home – a total of over 25% of the population. Following the ending of lockdown periods and as we approach the end of the global pandemic (hopefully), it is expected that one in four UK and NI firms will continue to allow their employees to work from home.
This month, the BBC reported that workers are still being told to work from home whenever possible despite Boris Johnson’s recommendation of a ‘gradual return to work.’ Of course, the government is keen to cut the number of furloughed workers as soon as possible and we, the public, are still to feel the chilling effect that two years of a furlough scheme will have into the future.
Technology Has Made Working from Home Simple
If the pandemic had occurred in the 1980s, would the world still have been able to continue as normal as it more or less was able to in the 2020s? Since computers were in their early days, it is likely that the shutdown would have had a far more vicious effect, although it is difficult to judge. Certainly, we are lucky that even during the height of lockdown, we still had Netflix, video games, video calls and even Pornhub casinos to keep us company.
In fact, a greater number of companies are using the possibility of being able to work from home as an advertisement opportunity for job offers. Furthermore, many companies are using the slogan that working from home equals a greener planet, as workers will be able to cut down on car and train travel.
Of course, there are lots of companies that would prefer their workers to return to the office full time, simply because they anticipate that their staff will be more productive. Interestingly, many workers have reported feeling a sense of loss and unhappiness in their jobs since they’ve left the office. Working in an office and interacting with colleagues is a huge part of any job, and once you are forced to work from home you lose that aspect of the job.
In fact, admitting you hate working from home has become a bit of a taboo given the landscape.
Working From Home May Get Easier
Once we are all able to travel freely again, working from home may become easier. It may also provide people with the opportunity to move abroad permanently whilst still continuing their job. A greater number of companies may see the light in allowing workers a mix of working from home whilst still having an office open for workers to work in at any time.
Moreover, some industries allowed their employees to work from home years before the pandemic struck. The iGaming and online casino industry are well known for having workers from all quarters of the globe, for example.
