The number of employers reporting that an increase in home working has increased the productivity or efficiency of their organization has increased significantly over the past year, according to a new study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
In a December 2020 survey, a third (33 percent) of employers said working from home had increased their organization’s productivity or efficiency. However, when asked about the increase in hybrid home working in October-November 2021, over two-fifths, 41 percent, said these new ways of working had boosted it.
Despite the reported productivity gains associated with home and hybrid working, there is a potential mismatch between how companies want their employees to work and how their employees want to work.
One in four employers want their employees to be in the on-site office all the time, while 39 percent of employees want to work from home all or most of the time in the future.
One reason for this discrepancy is that a majority, 63 percent, of employees who can work hybrid have not yet been asked about their future work preferences.
Claire McCartney, Senior Policy Advisor for Resources and Inclusion at CIPD, said: “It’s great that many employers are embracing the benefits of more hybrid and flexible ways of working. However, it is very important that they work with employees to find solutions that work for both the organization and the individual. This is a pivotal moment for flexible working, but a mismatch in expectations and an ad hoc approach could set back progress.
“Counseling employees is an important part of developing inclusive hybrid and flexible work practices.”
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