The Covid-19 pandemic has imposed working from home (WFH) on millions of employees around the world, many for the first time. Although lockdowns are easing there are growing expectations that permanently higher levels of WFH will continue. Our modelling projects a potential decline in office-based working environments of 22%, accompanied by a long-term increase in the population of home-based workers of up to 300%, but different employee groups exhibit very different attitudes and behaviours towards WFH. These changes will have a profound impact on many aspects of daily life, the strategies of employers and businesses, adoption and use of technologies and services, transport patterns, and government and local authority planning decisions. This report assesses the changes in WFH behaviour and attitudes in recent months and presents options for modelling and quantifying their potential impact on home-based working populations.
Table of Contents
Summary and Key Findings
Pre-pandemic Work-from-Home Patterns
The Impact of the Pandemic on WFH
Comparing Changes In Working Environments
Who Are The New Home Worker Groups?
Characterising the New Employee Groups
Employee Attitudes towards WFH
Benefits Of WFH
Concerns with WFH
Post-Pandemic Scenario Modelling and Impact
The Future Expectations of Employees
Office v. Non-Office Working Environments
The Reactions of Employers
Scenarios for Assessing the Potential Impact of Increased WFH
Conclusions and Implications
Further Questions and Next Steps
Commuting-Dependent Business Sectors
Employers
Governments and Local Authorities
Technology and Communications Industries
Exploring the Implications of the WFH Transformation With Strategy Analytics