Hybrid working rose after lockdown restrictions were lifted

Just 8% of those who worked at home during the pandemic plan to return full-time to the office. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 84% of employees want to keep up the “hybrid” system of home and office working. The results show that by February this year, the most common hybrid pattern among workers – at 42% – was operating mostly from home and sometimes from the office. This was an increase from 30% in April last year. That means the proportion of people working from home actually grew as lockdown restrictions eased. The proportion who planned to split their time equally between work and home, or stay mostly at their place of work and occasionally from home, fell. The proportion who planned to return to their place of work permanently also fell from 11% in April last year to 8% in February of this year. However, those deciding to work exclusively from home were even lower, at just 6%. The ONS questioned more than 500 British adults in February 2022. Some 78% of those who worked from home in some capacity said it provided a better work-life balance, while almost half said it improved their wellbeing. The Times (£) The Guardian