ONLY one in ten Brits expect to return to the office five days a week once the pandemic is over, a new poll reveals

ONLY one in ten Brits expect to return to the office five days a week once the pandemic is over, a new poll reveals.

In the survey*, just 14% of those quizzed said they expect to switch from their home desk to working full time back in the office.

The survey indicated one of the biggest issues preventing people returning to work are fears about using public transport.

Only 13 per cent of those asked said they felt “relaxed” about hopping back up on the train or bus. More than a third – 35% – said the idea left them “anxious” while nearly a fifth – 18% – said they have stopped using public transport entirely.

Over three quarters – 77% – said they’d support mandatory face masks on public transport as a measure to help get transport moving safely again.

An alarming 79% of those polled by travel firm TUBR also admitted the spread of the Indian variant has left them concerned that June’s roadmap to freedom would now be put back.

There was however optimism around the Government’s vaccine success with 87% admitting it had left the encouraged things would soon return to normal.

Dash Tabor, the co-founder of TUBR, an app which helps travellers plan crowd-free journeys, said: “These findings illustrate how people are still anxious about using transport and there is a lot of work to be done to reassure people.

“There are also growing concerns that the spread of the new variant will put us back on the roadmap towards freedom. We also need to come to the realization that Covid is a part of our future and we must find a way to live normal lives safely and comfortably. Despite the end of the pandemic being in sight, many workers only have some intention of returning to the office, coupled with an uncertainty of what that will look like. While many are now looking to permanently base themselves from home, it is only when people feel confident about travelling around again that the country will be able to move forward. These findings send a clear message to employers and the Government of the need to introduce clear and sensible advice to people who are worried about what the future holds.”

Nearly two-thirds – 30% – of those questioned in the poll said the days they worked remotely would differ dramatically from week-to-week.

Many large businesses including banks HSBC, JP Morgan and Santander, have already announced that thousands of their workers will be told to stay working from home indefinitely. Accountancy firm PWC also plans to keep 22,000 staff in home offices for at least half of the week.