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Research suggests hybrid working in Scotland ‘levelling out’
The number of employees in Scotland working in a hybrid way (39%) is now levelling out, with 39% also working fully in an office setting.
This balance between hybrid and solely office-based work indicates a gradual, but noticeable, swing to full-time office working, according to new research by Hays.
However, almost a quarter (22%) of professionals in Scotland work fully remotely.
The research also showed that more than half (56%) of workers would accept a job in the future even if it didn’t offer hybrid working, with 44% stating that they wouldn’t accept a role that didn’t offer a hybrid working approach.
The survey of nearly 15,000 professionals and employers – including 886 from Scotland – found that nearly two thirds of employers in Scotland (68%) are offering hybrid working, yet more than a quarter (27%) anticipate their hybrid working offering will change over the next 12 months, and that they will require increased staff attendance.
Hays Scotland director Keith Mason commented: “It’s clear from our research that there’s still no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to how staff want to work and how flexible employers are willing to be.
“Productivity levels can significantly vary from person to person depending on where they’re working and at what time of day, and what suits one person might not suit another, so it’s important for employers to take these individual preferences into account.
“We’ve certainly seen an increase in people travelling to work in recent months,“ he continued. “Hybrid working is still there, but it’s much less than before.
“Employers are driven by productivity and do expect staff to attend the office more. The level of productivity from working at home needs to be clearly demonstrated by workers.”
Nearly two thirds of employers (71%) say they have refitted their workplace, office or meeting rooms to facilitate a hybrid working approach. This includes installing large screens, cameras and microphones for an inclusive meeting experience when people are working in different locations.
More than half of organisations in Scotland (55%) now operate a hot desking policy at their workplace. 57% stated that this is a new approach after reducing the number of desks, compared to 43% who said they have always operated this way.
“If employers are asking staff back to the office more, they need to question if they’re doing it for the right reasons such as facilitating team-building opportunities, training and development, and enhancing collaboration and creativity, whilst ensuring they also offer an enticing work environment,“ said Mason. “Employers need to be mindful that their staff understand the benefits of being back in the office, and this is viewed as an opportunity to improve, rather than monitor performance.”
The research also showed that 40% of employers have different working policies for staff of varying levels or seniority. Just under half (48%) of employees agree that there should be different policies for junior and senior members of staff.
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