Needs For Remote And Hybrid Workspaces
A survey of UK employers and employees gives insight into the lack of provision for remote and hybrid office workers to carry out their roles. While only just over half (56%) of employers admit they regularly check in with all employees to enquire about their health and well-being, and 55% provide laptops, 73% of employees are ready to choose their next employer based on physical, health and well-being support and flexible technology provision.
The Future of Work survey by Ergotron, a global company designing and manufacturing ergonomic solutions to improve workspaces and interaction with technology, revealed that despite 88% of employers seeing the importance of bringing IT devices when working in different rooms, almost a quarter (23%) of employers disagreed that the provision of the right ergonomic work conditions and support in employees’ health and overall well-being would be a strong asset in talent acquisition.
This rose to 43% in organizations with 250-500 employees and 64% of HR industry respondents. However, the finance and tech sectors most appreciate the significance of these factors, with 80% of those in IT/telecoms and 75% of those in finance agreeing with the importance.
However, employers appear to have the ambition to make a success of remote working, appreciating the importance of an agile working environment. 73% think it’s important for workers to switch between sitting and standing to support their physical needs while at work (87% of businesses with 250-500 employees), and over half (52%) of workers consider it important.
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Due to the need to collaborate with remote teams and work from home, the office, or other locations, the flexibility of technology and portability of devices have become critical. 77% of employees and 88% of employers agreed on the importance of being able to bring their IT devices with them when working in different rooms. Yet only 55% of employers claim they are supplying a laptop to workers for home, office or third space.
The survey results showed a clear disparity in terms of equipment employees deem essential and what employers provide. Despite 89% of workers and 89% of employers citing a laptop as important, only 65% of all employees claim to have been provided one, and 55% of employers admit to providing one. 75% of workers and 81% of employers concurred on the importance of an ergonomic chair.
Yet again, only 19% of workers claimed employers had supplied them with one. With an increasing amount of technology applications required for typical work roles, 65% of employers said it’s important to have a large screen monitor (between 30 – 49 inches), but less than a third (28%) of employees have been supplied one, and 30% of employers admitted they had provided one. 15% of workers claimed employers had not provided any equipment – including a laptop, ergonomic chair, large monitor, or a subsidy for equipment.
While 30% of employers claim to offer a subsidy to workers to buy their own equipment, only 17% of employees claim they have been offered this. Richard Guy, Country Sales Manager UK & Ireland at Ergotron, said: “We’re now in the third year of a new workstyle for most organizations, and business leaders should by now have assessed their workspaces and at least be in planning to deliver for workers’ needs – their organization’s biggest asset.
The importance of the need for adaptable workstyles has grown hugely to build safe, healthy, productive, and collaborative working environments – and workers’ needs sit well above what their employers are currently providing. Most alarming is the lack of attention to workers’ comfort and well-being while at work. In addressing this and other dedicated resources for a remote or hybrid workstyle, employers will provide supportive working environments which attract and retain staff, which is the making of a business.
Given the business need for digital agility, deferring remote working provision will hold organizations back regardless of size or sector.”
Key findings: UK employers understand the importance of remote working requirements… 73% of employers consider it important to be able to switch between sitting and standing while working (87% of businesses with 250-500 employees) 71% of employers say it’s important for workers to be able to easily switch rooms/space to work in while taking their IT equipment with them 89% cited a laptop as important and 65% a large screen monitor 81% of employers agreed that an ergonomic chair is important …but fail to provide them.
Only 56% of employers admit they regularly check in with all employees to enquire about their health and well-being Only 55% of employers admit they are providing a laptop and 30% provide a large screen monitor 30% of employers claim to offer a subsidy to workers to buy their own equipment (only 17% of employees say they have this offer) Only 19% of employees have been provided an ergonomic chair
About the survey: Employer survey The survey was conducted of 150 respondents aged 18+ in the UK. These are senior decision-makers /employers with office workers who, before the Covid-19 outbreak, worked in their employer’s office but worked from home during a COVID-19 lockdown and will either be working between home and office or permanently from home after COVID-19 lockdowns cease.
Employee survey The survey was conducted on 150 respondents aged 18+ in the UK. Respondents were office workers who, before Covid-19, were in their employer’s office but worked from home during Covid lockdowns and will work from home and office or permanently from home since the lockdowns. Responses were sub-categorized by age across five age categories: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55+.
