Only 27% of businesses expect their workforce to work fully in-person in the office over the next five years, according to new research published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) insights unit and technology firm Cisco.
The survey of more than 1,000 businesses – of which 93% were SMEs – found that 47% of firms anticipate their staff will work mostly in-person, 16% expect most of their staff to work remotely and 8% expect them to be fully remote.
Business-to-business services firms (for instance in the finance and legal sectors) are more likely to expect remote working, with only 17% of B2B services organisations anticipating fully in-person working – compared with 38% for manufacturers and 37% for B2C services.
Jane Gratton, deputy director public policy at the BCC, said: “Our data shows that hybrid working is now part of the fabric of the modern workplace. For millions of people, logging in remotely for at least part of the working week is now routine. This flexibility is valued by employers and their teams. Less than 30% of firms expect staff to be working fully in person over the next five years.
“Flexible working makes good business sense. In a tight labour market, where employers are competing for skilled workers, hybrid working, and flexible working more generally, has become an important part of staff benefit packages. As well as boosting recruitment and retention, it can help employers unlock new and diverse talent pools. Employers still value regular face-to-face contact with staff, however, and our findings show only 8% of businesses expect staff to be completely remote.”
Aine Rogers, managing director of SMEs at Cisco UK and Ireland, added: “Small businesses are the heart of the UK economy, and their most important resource is their people. We know employees thrive in a hybrid working environment, as it enhances their wellbeing, work-life balance, and performance.
“When it comes to choosing the right solution, the key consideration is implementing a simple, secure collaboration platform that can help employees be just as productive remotely, as they would in the office. With the right technology in place, SMEs can also ensure their employees have inclusive, secure and resilient access to their network data and applications, as well as a seamless experience when calling, meeting, and messaging.”
