EMPLOYERS NEED TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO REMOTE WORKING EMPLOYEES

AS BRITISH WORKERS have returned to working from home, a new study has revealed that 91% of Brits who have worked remotely since the start of the pandemic have not received training or guidance from their employers for this.

A survey of 1,000 UK adults, commissioned by RADA Business, has found that whilst remote and hybrid working is popular amongst business professionals, employers are not doing enough to support their employees through this new way of working.

When it comes to growth within the workplace, 40% of British workers say their employer hasn’t invested in their general professional development since the pandemic began.

Compared to working life pre-pandemic, 20% of workers say they have had fewer opportunities to develop since remote working came into effect – this is most prevalent amongst those at the early stages of their career, as 40% of Gen Z workers feel this way.

This lack of opportunity to develop may be due to the impact that remote working has had on connecting with others within the same sector, as 75% of workers feel that they haven’t been able to expand their professional network whilst working from home.

Despite this, 45% of workers say they are either extremely or very interested in making the shift to homeworking permanent, whilst 80% say they want the option to work from home, even if it’s only an occasional arrangement. Saving time (58%) and saving money (54%) were found to be the most popular benefits of homeworking amongst British workers.

Given the popularity of hybrid working, employers need to work to bridge the gap between opportunities for those working in the office and from home, or at least how employees perceive these. The research revealed that 1 in 4 workers believes that employees working in the office are more likely to be chosen for new opportunities than those who are remote.

Jenny Stephens, Client Director at RADA Business comments: “It is fascinating to see that, despite the fact working from home has been in place for nearly two years and is so popular amongst UK workers, there is still significant work that employers need to do to support employees when it comes to both remote working and their personal professional development. It is essential that employers provide training so that employees feel equipped to work from home effectively; can navigate the unique challenges faced when doing so; and are enabled to come across at their best in a remote environment.

“It is also interesting to see that workers believe there is less opportunity to develop when working remotely – tangible progression is key to keeping employees feeling motivated and valued at work. So it’s important that business leaders explore different ways to bring opportunities to the forefront for those working from home, whether that’s on a permanent or flexible basis.”