Workers leaning towards keeping on working from home

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As more businesses and workers are realising the benefits of working from home, a new study indicates that as many as 86 per cent of workers would like to continue working from home, at least on a part-time basis, even after their workplaces resume normal operations.

An independent survey of 1000 Australian employees who have been working from home – full-time or part-time – during the pandemic, commissioned by digital event organiser Redback Connect, also reveals that 73 per cent believe their employers would be open to a permanent work-from-home arrangement, while 22 per cent already have such arrangements in place.

As for the frequency of working from home, 28 per cent say they prefer it being full-time, 39 per cent prefer doing so one to two days a week, and 20 per cent for three to four days.

On the other hand, 14 per cent said they are afraid to ask their managers to allow them to work from home, while eight per cent said their work-from-home requests were rejected by their employer.

The research also found that younger employees tend to be more way of asking their employer about permanent working from home arrangements. In addition, they tend to be less likely to have been offered a permanent work-from-home arrangement, or, if they have asked for one, have such request be declined.

The continued push for home-based working also highlighted the digital tools needed to increase productivity. The research noted that 50 per cent of respondents say working from home would not result in a fall in productivity if they had the right digital tools. A third (33 per cent) stated that with the right technology, their organisation would actually increase its productivity.

“Our survey results show that, after the pandemic, Aussie workers want workplaces to change permanently,” Jeff Downs, CEO and Founder at Redback Connect, said. “Many people have discovered just how much work they can achieve while working at home – especially if they have the right digital resources. If employers listen to their employees, we may see a decentralisation of the workforce from the cities to the suburbs.”

Downs added, “While simple video and teleconference communications have been used being widely by many organisations during the shutdown, if working from home becomes permanent, organisations will need to onboard a suite of remote-working digital tools to replicate, as far as possible, the ‘in-office’ experience.

“Our research reveals that more purpose-specific virtual technologies that offer a broader range of secure, interactive platform features – such as online polling and live Q&As – would help maximise the productivity of at-home offices.”