The debate around working from home has been waging for over two years now but it seems even after all this time, nobody can agree on the best approach.
In the early days of the pandemic, many had no choice but to work from home as offices all over the country shut down within a matter of days in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Of course, key workers such as healthcare staff and those working in supermarkets didn’t have the luxury of staying at home at this time, but the vast majority of non-key workers had to quickly adapt to life away from the office.
Since those very early days of lockdown, restrictions have come and gone, sometimes relaxing then tightening up again with very little warning, so it’s unsurprising that a great deal of employers have continued to encourage a home-working model throughout this period to avoid further complications.
However, with restrictions lifting significantly over the last six months, and life pretty much back to normal for most of us, it’s surprising to me that so many are continuing to work from home when they don’t necessarily have to.
In fact, a recent survey showed that British workers are top of the charts when it comes to nations who do not want to return to the office full-time, with nearly a quarter of workers saying they’d rather quit or find a new job than give up flexible working.
The latest figures from Google’s Mobility Report also revealed that commuting journeys in the UK are down by more than a fifth compared to pre-pandemic levels, which is a much larger drop than our European neighbours in Germany, Spain, France and Italy.
Sir Alan Sugar recently came under fire for his comments on those who continue to work from home, slamming “this work from home BS” as a “total joke.” He exclaimed: “There is no way people work as hard or productive as when they had to turn up at a work location” which drew a great deal of criticism from social media users.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also ruffled a few feathers when he said working from home simply does not work, and those who opt to stay home during the day can often be distracted from their jobs by wasting time making coffee and snacking on small pieces of cheese.
While I find Johnson’s comments utterly bizarre, I agree with the sentiment that being back in the office more frequently will do wonders for productivity.
Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky recently declared that office-based working is “over” as the rental accommodation marketplace introduced a ‘work from anywhere’ policy for all staff, allowing employees to do their jobs from wherever they choose to, indefinitely.
While I don’t doubt that some people are extremely productive when working from home, and the flexibility that comes with this type of working is beneficial, the cynical part of me thinks Airbnb and other companies introducing such policies are using this as a bit of a gimmick to generate headlines.
Are we really never going to see a proper return to the office?
In ten years’ time, when the pandemic is a distant memory, will we still be logging in from our makeshift home desks and communicating virtually most of the time?
I sincerely hope not.
This would create a whole generation of workers who’ve barely set foot in an office, meaning they’ll struggle to learn how to work as part of a team, or to pick up new skills and talents from watching their peers work.
I understand some employers are now scared of losing staff by asking them to return to the office full-time, but I’m not sure how much longer that can continue.
Unless specified in a contract, working from home is essentially a privilege – not a right, but it seems a lot of people have forgotten that.
The commercial property market in Scotland is on the up again, so I’m not worried about offices becoming a thing of the past, but I do fear that if too many workplaces make working from home the norm, we risk losing an element of human connection as well as a lot of essential skills.
Video Games Industry Levels Up
We all know the economy is in a state of flux at the moment, and factors such as the aftermath of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have put a significant strain on many organisations.
There’s been a lot of stories around job losses and companies choosing to downsize their workforce, so I was pleasantly surprised to see some positive news for a change, in the form of a sharp rise in jobs in the Scottish video game sector.
According to video games industry body, Tiga, employment grew within the industry by 26 per cent between April 2020 and December 2021 – a pretty impressive feat at a time when so many industries are facing continued uncertainty.
These new figures from Tiga are great to see, and it’s clear there is a real boom in the creative gaming industry and job market. Thanks to this growth, around 4,000 new jobs could be indirectly created in Scotland.
Scotland has form when it comes to gaming prowess and has the fourth largest games sector in the UK, behind London, the South-East and North-West.
It’s refreshing to see that we are at the forefront of the creative industries, and our gaming sector is giving the likes of London a run for their money with around 2,300 creative staff working in the games development industry.
This latest growth spurt is a brilliant boost to Scotland’s tech industry and illustrates the fantastic skills and business minds we have right on our doorstep. There is a wealth of talent in the country that is just waiting to be unlocked.
It Made Me Laugh
Connie Goes Platinum
Something that made me chuckle this week was the latest demonstration of a brand jumping on the Jubilee bandwagon with a new product launch.
Marks and Spencer have unveiled a new twist on its iconic ‘Connie the Caterpillar’ cake in honour of the Queen’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee, transforming the much-loved character into a cake version of HRH The Queen for the special occasion with the addition of an edible crown.
Not only that, but Queen Connie is now also joined by her very own Corgi the caterpillar cake, complete with Union Jack cape.
M&S isn’t the only supermarket getting in on the Jubilee action, as Morrisons has also brought out its own Corgi cake, named Clarence.
Here’s hoping we don’t have another round of Connie vs Cuthbert on our hands!
It Made Me Weep
Flight Prices Take Off
I’m never surprised to read about Ryanair in the news.
The budget airline is well-known for its attention-grabbing antics, but the latest announcement from the brand was a bit more sobering.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said he is expecting the prices of flights to European destinations to rise by a ‘high single digit per cent’ in the coming months.
With prices going up pretty much across the board, it’s unsurprising that flights could follow suit with a jump in price.
O’Leary also predicts ongoing airport delays as staff shortages persist.
After two years of little to no travel, it’s a shame that holidaymakers could face further barriers to hopping on a plane to warmer climes, but it looks like more challenges lie ahead.
