Is Working from Home Here to Stay?

Looking back on our working lives before the pandemic, it can be easy to forget how unfamiliar most of us were with working from home. Fast-forward to 2021, and flexible working is now a normality. A new study predicts that, after restrictions are eased, 20% of full working days will now be completed from home, a substantial rise since before the pandemic when this number was just 5%. It has also been reported that the majority of businesses are planning to implement a hybrid virtual model, in which some employees work from the office and others work from home.

The pandemic gave businesses the chance to experiment with working from home, a gamble they may not otherwise have taken due to the costs of experimentation, an expectation of lower productivity and coordination challenges. However, as more and more employees began to work from home, the benefits of this became clear to businesses.

Some benefits of working from home and flexible working include:

·       Increased Productivity - in a survey conducted by NBER, it was reported that nearly 60% of people reported their productivity to be better than expected when working from home and another study showed that nearly 50% of people want to continue working from home three days or more per week in the future.

·       Less time is spent travelling - It has been reported that commuting to work by car has been linked to higher stress levels, increased pollution and respiratory problems. Reducing travel time also creates more time for employees outside of work which is likely to increase positive mental wellbeing.

·       Flexible working is easier for those with children - Flexible working allows for employees to arrange their working to suit their children e.g., picking their children up from school, caring for their child when they are ill or spending more time with their child during school holidays.

·       Reduced illness - Having less employees present in the office reduces the risk of employees contracting Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.

·       Creates a culture of trust within businesses - Allowing for flexible working can strengthen the relationship between employees and managers due to an increased level of trust.

·       Allows for employees to spend more time on their health - employees have the time to spend time on activities which improve their physical or mental health.

At Optix, the team took flexible working in their stride during the pandemic, working together through unfamiliar conditions to build back and grow the business. It is because of this that we now employ a fully flexible working policy; staff can move their working hours around to suit, and work from wherever they feel most comfortable or productive. The office is there when needed, and we’re encouraging a safe return to the office for key meetings and client interactions. We recognise that the office environment encourages creativity and allows for more social opportunities and, as a result, the team are encouraged to be present in the office for at least part of the week.

We also recognise that flexible working is about more than working from home. Mental health is viewed as a top priority at Optix, which is why our working day aims to support positive mental wellbeing. We allow longer lunch breaks (1hr30) for those wishing to spend some extra time on their physical or mental health such as attending an exercise class, being part of a club or taking a longer walk. We also ensure that the team are given the opportunity to spend time with one another in a non-work setting; we have a virtual Friday drinks Zoom every other Friday and have held events such as a Tapas and Cocktail class, and a pasta making experience with a chef from Rome! We’ve also started a monthly photography competition, and a number of interest-based groups such as cooking, films/tv and creativity.

During the past year, we have seen benefits which have shown us that continuing to employ these changes is important for our team. In meetings, there is a clear sense of high productivity, motivation and positivity which we believe is a product of what happens when you allow a determined and passionate team to approach their work in a way that suits them best. Perhaps the best lesson we have learned through implementing flexible working is the importance of being adaptable and trialling new techniques as they may not be how work has traditionally taken place, but they may be what is best to boost productivity and stimulate growth within the business.