Ageas research finds most people expect a rise in home working

The insurer Ageas – which has more than 700 staff at its Bournemouth office – conducted research into the experience of people who were newly working from home.

It found 56 per cent were using their former commuting time to stay in bed longer, while two-thirds cited seeing friends and family as the experience they were most looking forward to when the lockdown ends.

Fifty-one per cent believed more people will work from home after the crisis and half thought people would wash their hands more.

Only 34 per cent thought people would show more appreciation for supermarket workers and delivery drivers, 26 per cent thought people would be kinder.

More than a fifth said lack of interaction with colleagues was the worst thing about working at home.

Ageas has not furloughed any of its own staff and more than 80 per cent of its UK employees are able to work from home, with social distancing and other safety measures in place for those who need to be in the office.

It says it has been supporting staff with their mental health through initiatives such as fitness challenges, resources for parents, mental health first aiders and wellbeing guides.

Lyn Nicholls, HR director at Ageas UK, said: “Whether people have been learning a new language or simply enjoying a well-deserved lie-in, their staying at home has helped them to get through the lockdown and helped to protect the NHS, and we thank them for that.

“Our research showed employees across the country, not just our own, miss the interaction they have with colleagues in the office and, like many businesses across the UK, we’re now looking at how our staff who have been working from home can return to the office in a safe way, but also how our experiences over the last few weeks provide an opportunity to think about how we want to operate in future.

“This includes looking at flexibility in working hours, changes to the office layout and using technology to our advantage.”