About The Authors

November 2021 - Business Support

Two-thirds of UK and Irish office workers are reluctant to return to the office: Research has revealed that despite many businesses now desiring their employees to return to the office after a period of time at home due to Covid-19, 67% of workers polled in the UK and Ireland are reluctant to make the switch.

The survey by Unispace polled more than 3,000 office workers to learn more about their feelings on returning to the office and the drivers that would encourage them to embrace it more. 

The major study also polled 2,759 employees in leadership roles as well as in depth interviews with global leaders in HR, Real Estate and HR. It found that the majority of leaders (71%) were also reluctant to head back to their company's physical office space. 

After a period of saving money on travel expenses to and from the workplace, it is perhaps unsurprising that employees are reluctant to pay for work travel, with 75% saying that they might be encouraged to return to the office if their employers paid for the journey to work.

When probed about why they are reluctant to return to the office, two-fifths of respondents said that the commute was their primary concern due to the time it takes (41%), as well as the additional costs they would incur (31%). 

More than three-quarters of employees said that they would prefer a workspace that is 5-10 minutes from home, while 73% said that if their employer payed for their lunch they might be enticed back to their old desk.

Also revealed by the research was that 41% of workers feel they were more productive in the workplace than at home, with the majority (93%) saying they would like to see changes made to their current place of work to make it more appealing. A quarter said they would like to see more private spaces available, (25%), while others would like to see a better lay out (23%) and more amenities (22%).

Other Business Support Research Findings

Other Latest Market Research Insights