# Hybrid working is here to stay Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-10-05 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: The Future of Work: Embracing Hybrid Working Solutions Meta Description: Discover how UK IT leaders believe that implementing hybrid working sooner could have been beneficial, as companies navigate the post-pandemic work landscape. URL: https://financedigest.com/hybrid-working-is-here-to-stayhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/graphicstock-man-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table-working-from-home-on-laptopbuhruvhmb1-1736837713410-compressed.jpg) _By_ **_Scott Wilson,_** _Senior Director, Sales & Service, eFax_ The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that for the last 18 months or so, workers across the UK and Europe who previously worked in offices were compelled to work from home instead. This huge shift to remote working was unprecedented in its speed and scale. It was made possible by technology such as high-speed broadband at home: mobile phones: [video conferencing:](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-create-the-perfect-video-conferencing-space.html "How to create the perfect Video Conferencing space") and online fax services, which together reproduced the capabilities of being in the office. But the easing of public health restrictions means companies now [face a choice](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-euros-20-year-low-leaves-ecb-facing-costly-choices.html "Analysis-Euro’s 20-year low leaves ECB facing costly choices"). The processes they originally put in place in response to lockdown haven’t lost any of their effectiveness. They still enable employees to [work remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture") without having to come into the office. Some organisations are comfortable for staff to [continue working](https://www.financedigest.com/despite-return-to-work-virtual-meetings-will-continue-to-disrupt-business-as-usual-in-finance.html "Despite Return to Work, Virtual Meetings Will Continue to Disrupt Business as Usual in Finance") from home on an ongoing basis. Others, however, are adamant in wanting their [employees to return to the workplace](https://www.financedigest.com/norway-wealth-fund-employee-sues-for-workplace-gender-discrimination.html "Norway wealth fund employee sues for workplace gender discrimination") as soon as possible. It’s a choice that has divided the business community, in terms of the level of [flexible working](https://www.financedigest.com/the-flexible-working-revolution-is-here-so-why-arent-you-tracking-expenses-on-the-go.html "‘The flexible working revolution is here – so why aren’t you tracking expenses on the go?’") arrangements to offer employees: - UK building society Nationwide is allowing 13,000 [office staff to choose where they work](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-or-the-office-how-to-do-it-best.html "Working from home or the office – how to do it best") under its new “work anywhere” flexibility scheme - Supermarket group Asda has announced it will make hybrid working permanent at its [head offices in Leeds and Leicester once Covid](https://www.financedigest.com/first-foreign-covid-vaccines-head-to-china-from-germany.html "First foreign COVID vaccines head to China from Germany") restrictions are lifted, allowing staff to choose where they work - In June, the [CEO of professional services provider Deloitte said the company’s](https://www.financedigest.com/in-listening-mode-new-bayer-ceo-keeps-open-mind-on-company-split.html "In listening mode, new Bayer CEO keeps ‘open mind’ on company split") employees are no longer required to be in the office for a set number of days or in specific locations - However, rival firms KPMG, EY and PwC have all said employees must still go into the office at [least two to three days each week](https://www.financedigest.com/80-of-brits-admit-to-feeling-hangry-at-least-once-a-week.html "80% of Brits admit to feeling “hangry” AT LEAST once a week") - Investment bank Goldman Sachs has said it wants all its [staff to come back into the office full time once restrictions end](https://www.financedigest.com/amazon-to-lay-off-staff-in-u-s-canada-and-costa-rica-by-end-of-day.html "Amazon to lay off staff in U.S., Canada and Costa Rica by end of day") eFax conducted research [asking UK IT leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/three-questions-finance-leaders-should-be-asking-themselves-during-the-pandemic.html "Three questions finance leaders should be asking themselves during the pandemic") about the hybrid workforce model. The results found that more than three quarters (76%) of UK IT decision-makers say that their organisations could have made the transition to a [hybrid workforce sooner – before the pandemic began – if they were aware of the pros and cons of moving to a hybrid working](https://www.financedigest.com/how-has-hybrid-working-impacted-the-gender-gap.html "How has hybrid working impacted the gender gap?") model before the pandemic began. With many [workers now accustomed to the flexibility of working](https://www.financedigest.com/1-in-5-uk-workers-believe-there-is-a-gender-divide-with-work-uniforms.html " 1 in 5 UK workers believe there is a gender divide with work uniforms") remotely, and many employers now offering it on an ongoing basis, organisations that do not offer this flexibility risk becoming estranged from their existing staff and becoming less attractive to potential new employees. eFax found that half of the IT decision-makers (51%) [believe the inability to attract and retain talent and over a third (38%) believe being unable to accommodate family life](https://www.financedigest.com/1-in-3-adults-dont-believe-school-education-prepared-them-for-adult-life.html "1 in 3 adults don’t believe school education prepared them for adult life"), are big risks if business does not enable a hybrid working. A further third (34%) believe such a decision would cause [employees to feel disengaged from their employer](https://www.financedigest.com/neyber-brings-on-board-james-malia-to-leadership-team-to-support-employers-success-in-driving-employee-financial-resilience-goals.html "Neyber brings on board James Malia to leadership team to support employers’ success in driving employee financial resilience goals"). New technologies and hybrid [working have enabled companies](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-offers-to-pay-companies-testing-a-4-day-work-week.html "Spain offers to pay companies testing a 4-day work week") and their employees to weather the pandemic and emerge from the other side. The concepts of [hybrid working](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model") and working from home are now familiar to many more workers than they were before the pandemic. Proponents of [home working say that it improves their personal](https://www.financedigest.com/to-be-a-young-person-and-own-your-own-home-should-be-a-dream-that-everyone-has-the-right-to-fulfil.html "“To be a young person and own your own home should be a dream that everyone has the right to fulfil.”") productivity and lets them enjoy a better work/life balance without the hassle of a time-consuming daily commute. However, others complain that home working has meant the opposite, in that they now [work longer hours](https://www.financedigest.com/low-use-of-shortened-work-hours-points-to-mild-german-recession-ifo.html "Low use of shortened work hours points to mild German recession – Ifo") than before lockdown. They want their [working environment and home](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-everyone-is-different.html "Working from home, everyone is different.") environment to stay separate. They also miss the ability to interact with colleagues in person, to discuss new ideas ad lib or ask for help or advice. It’s for these [reasons that many employees](https://www.financedigest.com/4-reasons-your-finance-employees-are-showing-signs-of-stress.html "4 reasons your finance employees are showing signs of stress") still want to return to the office. But the ability to [work remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/shoring-up-cyber-defences-in-the-remote-working-era.html "Shoring up cyber defences in the remote working era") is now an attractive option for those that wish to do so. Hybrid working is here to stay, and forward-thinking companies with an interest in retaining employees and [attracting new talent](https://www.financedigest.com/duecourse-attracts-former-apple-tech-talent.html "DueCourse Attracts Former Apple Tech Talent") will adopt it as an integral part of their practices and processes. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---