It's two years to the day since we were told to work from home - here's how Lancashire office staff have adjusted

Afternoon naps, better relationships with colleagues and bosses, and the death of the suit and tie – research reveals what working life looks like exactly two years since we were all sent home.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

According to the study, we are enjoying a new era of balance, with the average Brit now spending three days a week working in the office, and two days working remotely.

More than half (52 percent) describe their work/life balance as “much better” with a third preferring a more hybrid approach to work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And almost half (45 percent) think their relationships with colleagues and clients have greatly improved.

Working from home has become the norm since the start of the Covid pandemicWorking from home has become the norm since the start of the Covid pandemic
Working from home has become the norm since the start of the Covid pandemic

And the day of the suit and tie is becoming a thing of the past, as four in ten workers (39 percent) have adopted a more relaxed approach to dressing for work, with 23 percent now spending their days wearing comfy clothes like joggers at home as well as to the office.

In fact, almost a quarter (23 percent) declare that the suit and tie is old fashioned and outdated.

The lunch hour is also a thing of the past for modern Brits, with 34 minutes emerging as the average time we step away from our desks during a typical working day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On average we will get through two cups of tea or coffee, scroll through social media at least eight times, and chat to friends via WhatsApp eight times daily.

Despite looking at online shopping sites twice a day and sharing three funny memes with friends or colleagues, on average we participate in 48 minutes of calls with colleagues, clients or suppliers, spend 38 minutes sending work WhatsApps, and join up to three Zoom calls or Team meetings daily

When it comes to our work from home days, Brits also help themselves to FOUR snacks a day.

And employers look away now, as on work from home days, employees enjoy three naps a week, indulging in boxset binging four times a week, and take time out to play with their pets just under 10 times a week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When it comes to where we’re working when at home, although a quarter of us have a pre-existing office space to work from when at home, 26 percent of Brits sit at the kitchen table, a fifth (21 percent) take a seat on the sofa, and one in ten (11 percent) admit to working from whichever area of the house happens to have the best broadband connection.

Since the pandemic, the working day is starting ten minutes earlier, with the average Briton now starting work at 8:20am, compared to 8:30am pre-pandemic.

And on average, the 1,500 working Britons polled now finish slightly later, at twenty to six, compared to half past five two years ago.

When it comes to what we most enjoy about hybrid working, 47 percent admit they love not having to commute into the office every day, 40 percent love the luxury of being able to wear PJs, leggings and joggers, while four in ten (41 percent) like the positive effect is has on their bank balance, spending less money overall.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Also, interestingly, being close to your own bathroom is a big advantage for one in three (33 percent) Brits when working from home.

Amber Pine, Managing Director of Sky Broadband said: “With many of us now spending part of our week working from home, just as good coffee and reliable tech are essential WFH companions for many of us, a strong WiFi connection in every room is more important than ever."

Thanks for reading. Check out out subscription offers on our home page.

Related topics: