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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We’ve published an article exploring the views of individuals and businesses on hybrid working now that #COVID19 restrictions have been lifted.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 23, 2022
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.
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.
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
24th May 2022 
