A growing number of UK workers are becoming more keen to head back to the office, although the figure is still nowhere near an overwhelming majority, new research has found.
A survey from Sharp found widely different opinions between different age groups when it came to support for heading back in to the office.
The company quizzed 6,000 office workers in SMBs across Europe on the impact the pandemic has had on workers' needs, showing that more still need to be done before a truly hybrid working future can be achieved.
Overall, two thirds (66 percent) of young UK workers say they have found it challenging to stay connected with their colleagues whilst working remotely – with 57 percent of this group saying that the ability to meet and work with colleagues physically has become more important since the pandemic began.
Many are keen to head back into an office if it is a "dynamic" environment, with Sharp finding 66 percent agreeing this would be more important to them since lockdown.
Surprisingly, more than half (53 percent) also agreed that working remotely blurred their work and home life, negatively impacting their work-life balance - suggesting the transition back to an office will still need to be gradual.
“There is a clear demand to get people back to the office, but it’s important to manage expectations and consider what employees are looking for in order to make it a smooth transition and balance remote working and office working," said Rob Davis, Solutions & Services Business Manager at Sharp.
"It’s time to embrace more collaborative space, systems and attitudes to meet the post-pandemic worker’s needs.”