After analysing the data from a survey of more than 65,000 of our clients, how we work is almost certainly set to change as the Covid-19 lockdown ends. 

As some slowly start to make their way back to the office, our findings have revealed that working from home has not just physically displaced employees, but has also had an impact on mental health, both positively and negatively.

Remote working has presented the multi-generational workforce with different challenges. For example, young professionals at the start of their career are likely to be sharing space, a less than ideal set-up when working from home. In fact, 25 per cent of 18-24 year-olds said they would be returning to the office post-lockdown, higher than any other age group.

Then there are those with young families who are having to juggle home school and work, as well as people who live by themselves that have faced the prospect of loneliness.

With this in mind where is a person’s mental health needs best met? Up to 60 per cent of the people we surveyed think a mixture of both working from home and being in the office is needed in order to achieve the optimal balance.

While everyone is in agreement that you need both time in the office and at home to achieve balanced mental health, only the 18-24 year-olds and the 55-64 year-olds felt that the office could better meet these needs at 25 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

On one end of the spectrum, shared living spaces and anxiety over career progression could play a role, while for those nearer to retirement it could be a lack of social interaction at home that sees them veer towards the workplace.

Communication is also a crucial factor and many respondents felt their relationships have changed due to a reliance on technology. According to the data, family is the only group that has seen relationships improve, which could be expected given the amount of time people are now spending at home.

More surprisingly perhaps is that the relationship between employees and their managers and team leaders has improved more in comparison with relationships with friends, colleagues and clients, suggesting a heightened responsibility for staff wellbeing.

Other anxieties, such as an individual’s commute, will also play a role. Unsurprisingly, those who usually have the longest journey like working from home the most. A lot has been said about the potential decentralisation of the office, which could in time lead to a happier workforce.

Realistically, a lot of the challenges posed by the pandemic will be removed once restrictions are lifted. However, the long-term impact on mental health this period will have had on the workforce cannot be ignored.

How people felt in the midst of lockdown will not necessarily reflect their state of mind now that we are starting to return to work and we must acknowledge this is a journey that is far from over. With this in mind, figuring out how, where and when we work will be essential to employee happiness as we enter the next stage of post-lockdown life.

Further information

Contact Savills Office FiT