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New study reveals more than 80% people will do ‘hybrid working’ in the future

The ONS says the latest figures show that people are favouring what can be a better work-life balance.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 24th May 2022

New statistics released this week reveal that more than 80% of people who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are planning to carry out ‘hybrid working’ in future.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than eight out of 10 people are keen to adopt a flexible combination of working from home and from the office, while the proportion of people planning to work primarily from home rose from 30% in April 2021 to 42% in February 2022.

The ONS says the latest figures show that people are favouring what can be a better work-life balance, instead of returning to the office full-time.

On top of that, it was found that around 78% of those who worked from home to some extent during the pandemic said that their work-life balance was improved, with 53% claiming there was fewer distractions, and 52% saying they completed their work more quickly.

47% even said that their overall wellbeing was better.

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The statistics also revealed that it’s not just staff favouring the hybrid model either, as while there are some sectors that cannot support staff working from home, around 23% of business said they are using or intend to use increased home-working as a permanent model for the future to protect the wellbeing of workers.

43% of businesses said reduced overhead costs contributed to the hybrid working model, and 41% said the rate of productivity was higher.

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Read more: A four-day working week is currently being trialled in the UK

More than 80% people say they will do ‘hybrid working’ in the future / Credit: Jose Losada (via Unsplash)

But there was some discrepancy found when it came to staff earnings and age groups.

According to the ONS, people who are earning £40,000 or more were more likely to hybrid work or work from home entirely, however people earning £15,000 or less were the least likely.

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And then when it comes to age groups, it was found that those aged 16-29 and those aged 50-69 were less likely to hybrid work than those aged 30-49, and almost three in 10 workers aged 30-49 reported that they were hybrid working, compared with 23% of 16-29-year-olds and 20% of 50-69-year-olds.

Featured Image – Kaitlyn Baker (via Unsplash)