The decade-long trend of remote, nomadic working could be coming to an end, suggests a new survey from workplace consultants Peldon Rose.
Two thirds (66 per cent) of British workers say their productivity is better in the office compared with a quarter (26 per cent) reporting that they work most productively at home.
Less than 1 per cent (0.74 per cent) of those surveyed feel they work productively on a train and taking a laptop to a favourite coffee shop may become a thing of the past, as only 3 per cent feel they work most productively in a café.
Despite half (50 per cent) of the British workforce saying they are equipped with the right tools and technology to enable them to work anywhere, the survey of over 600 predominantly London office workers questions some of the perceived benefits of remote working.
Half (50 per cent) of respondents state that remote working can make them feel stressed, isolated or lonely and over half (53 per cent) say that working out of the office makes them feel disconnected from colleagues.
The survey results also underlines how vital close working relationships with colleagues are to employees’ happiness, wellbeing and productivity with nine in ten (91 per cent) office workers stating they value their friendships within the workplace.
Some 80 per cent credit their friendships with colleagues with helping them to be more productive at work, something they feel boosts their productivity even more than personal technology (66 per cent).
Jitesh Patel, chief executive of Peldon Rose, says that it is becoming increasingly more common for companies to want to keep their workforce under one roof.
Patel says, ‘The survey findings reveal that the remote working trend has come full circle. Office workers are clearly seeing the personal and professional benefits of working alongside colleagues and the drawbacks of isolated working, and they are virtually and physically returning to the office.’
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