Majority of firms to expand remote working policies in wake of coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus crisis has dramatically transformed the way companies operate – and although some things may one day go back to normal, remote working is here to stay.
That’s according to a survey of 150 companies listed in the Fortune 2000 rankings, the vast majority of which are looking to increase the amount employees work from home.
Of those polled, 85 per cent said they will expand remote working policies as a result of the pandemic, as a direct result of their employees’ experiences over the lockdown.
It comes as the trust between bosses and employees has grown significantly, with nearly one-third of managers saying they trust their workers more than before the pandemic.
And 40 per cent of businesses said that the productivity of their teams had increased during the remote working period, according to the survey, which was carried out by HR tech event company Unleash.
It could also mean that many companies eventually downsize their office space as a result of the changes, with 37 per cent saying that was on the agenda, and 43 per cent saying they planned to reduce floor space by at least a quarter.
Unleash chief executive Marc Coleman told City PM that the research suggested that companies would have to make major changes over the coming years.
“Coming out of this companies are definitely going to have to reorganise themselves,” he said.
“All models have been broken. It’s a whole new world,” he added.
“Things like digital learning, remote working, and flexible working conditions have all been accelerated by the crisis.”
In addition, 48 per cent of respondents said they had recruited extra workers over the lockdown, while only 20 per cent said they had furloughed people during the crisis.