The Workers Union is calling on business to review the way that staff work in the wake of Coronavirus.
The partial lifting of lockdown restrictions have not heralded a mass return to centralised working. Rather, recent news reports highlighted that British workers have been slow to return to the office.
The Workers Union says
The Workers Union’s Chief Spokesman said: ‘Like it or not, the COVID-19 crisis has changed our lives. We’re likely to have to deal with constraints placed upon us until a safe vaccine becomes available. We’re also likely to see a shift away from the current model of office-based employment.’
Mr Morgan went on to argue that home-based working has improved work/life balance.
‘The centrally planned, centrally managed way of working hadn’t really changed for 150 years. The COVID crisis was an unplanned experiment in using technology to challenge the status quo. Although there are understandable challenges around isolation, many people have found the switch to home-working beneficial.’Flexible futures
The move towards flexible working has been given additional endorsement by the Universities of Kent and Birmingham. In a study published last week, 66 percent of non-parents reported benefitting from greater flexibility at work. 52 percent of all parents surveyed were in agreement.
Mr Morgan said: ‘It’s clear that the future belongs to companies that embrace a greater degree of autonomy for their staff. With modern technology making face-to-face communications a matter of routine, a better compromise between efficient working and family life is possible.
‘The main obstacle is often underinvestment in training company chiefs to manage remote workers. Coupled with paranoia about staff productivity, it can make home-based working a less attractive option for some.
‘We’re challenging this by campaigning to make sure that employers offer flexible terms that reflect individual circumstances. This should be at the core of any post-Corona settlement with British workers.’
The Workers Union – Britain’s hardest working union
