UK chief executives think shift towards remote working will endure

Many office-based workers have been doing their jobs from home since the Covid-19 lockdown started
PA
Joanna Hodgson25 August 2020

Over three quarter of UK chief executives believe the shift towards remote working will endure, the results of a survey show as companies continue to look at when to bring staff back to offices.

PwC surveyed 699 bosses online in 67 countries/regions (including 96 bosses in the UK) in June and July. The company was looking at how business leaders have responded to the pandemic.

The results showed 86% of UK bosses see a long term shift towards remote working enduring, and 68% believe the shift towards lower-density workplaces, with fewer people working together in person, will endure.

PwC added that conversations with UK chief executives also suggest that a new hybrid model is emerging with work being ‘something people do rather than a place to go to’.

One in four (24%) said they are already prioritising digital adoption as well as making their workforces more flexible and smaller.

According to Simon Hampton, PwC’s UK real assets leader, the latest survey findings suggest that the consequences of home working are starting to fundamentally filter into long term thinking about existing office accommodation models.

Hampton said: “Prior to the pandemic, we were already noticing a significant shift in the way people choose to consume - physical retail assets versus online, served via logistics warehousing for example - but with lockdown this home delivery trend has swiftly accelerated into food and perishable items with a new, often more elderly, buyer group joining the younger, tech-savvy generation."

He added: “When you look at these retail shifts in tandem with our UK CEO responses - and in light of the world-wide test case for digital transformation and home working - it would be short-sighted of us to think it won’t result in different looking town centres and suburban areas in future. And this is certain to have larger real asset implications for the built environment with developers and investors needing to navigate this changing landscape.”

Numerous office-based staff have been working from home since the Covid-19 lockdown started in March.

Although some employers have staff back in headquarters with social distancing measures in place, a number of businesses have told the Evening Standard they are looking to offer more flexible working.

There are some firms that have recently said they are not planning on having most staff back in offices this year.