Bad News For Vending, we’re sorry to report. If you’ve been counting on life at work getting to normal when the threat of COVID has been subdued, a new study by the IoD is likely to make sobering reading.
A poll of around 1,000 firms by the Institute of Directors (IoD) discovered that 74% plan on maintaining the increase in home working, whilst more than half are planning on reducing their long-term use of workplaces. With the vast majority of UK machines situated in B&I locations, this is Bad News For Vending.
What’s more, a sister study amongst firms that had already cut workplace attendance, suggested that 44% of them thought working from home was proving to be ‘more effective’.
“Remote working has been one of the most tangible impacts of coronavirus on the economy.”
However, Roger Barker, Director of Policy at the IoD issued a warning: “Remote working has been one of the most tangible impacts of coronavirus on the economy. For many, it could be here to stay,” he said. “Working from home doesn’t work for everyone, and directors must be alive to the downsides. Managing teams remotely can prove far from straightforward, and directors must make sure they are going out of their way to support employees’ mental well being.”
Bad News For Vending
Mr Barker concluded that Companies are unlikely to switch fully to home working. “The benefits of the office haven’t gone away”, he said. ‘For many companies, bringing teams together in person proves more productive and enjoyable. Shared workspace often provides employees the opportunity for informal development and networking that is so crucial, particularly early on in a career.”
The study follows a BBC survey in August which suggested that 50 of the biggest UK employers had no plans to return all staff to the office full-time in the near future.
Nine in 10 workers who have worked from home during lockdown would like to continue in some form, researchers found in an academic study published by academics at Cardiff and Southampton universities. The study suggests that the majority of people working from home are as productive, if not more, as they were in the office.
All in all, it’s Bad News For Vending and for other businesses involved in the provision of office refreshment services… The ‘bosses’ may or may not want them back in the office; but if there’s proof that home working does not impede performance, staff will feel justified in resisting a return. People power, anyone?
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