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Two Thirds Of People Don't Want To Go Back To Work In August

Two Thirds Of People Don't Want To Go Back To Work In August

It comes as the UK government announced employees could return to their place of work from 1 August

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

More than two thirds of LADbible readers say they would rather work from home than return to the office in August.

We asked whether or not you would feel comfortable returning to work next month following the government's announcements that businesses could ask employees to come back.

However, of the 7,942 votes we received, 68.7 percent said they would rather remain working from home, with 31.3 percent okay with going back in.

Some of those who commented on the vote said they would rather avoid the commute and put the extra money they were saving on travel to better use.

One person wrote: "Saves me 2 hours a day and £80 in fuel a month working from home. Will happily turn the £80 into a £20 gym membership and be better all round."

While another put: "I'm much happier working from home, so I'm staying put as long as possible."

However, not everyone is seeing the benefit of homeworking, with some pointing out that it is having a knock-on effect on other businesses.

"I work in a workplace canteen where we are relying on the office staff to go back to work before we can.... so here's hoping they'll go back soon or I could be out of a job," said one.

It comes after Boris Johnson announced that employers can start asking staff to return to work from 1 August, scrapping previous work-from-home messaging that has been in place since March and allowing employers more discretion on how to keep staff safe.

The UK Prime Minister made the announcement in a briefing on 17 July, in which he said it is up to employers to decide if it is safe to bring staff back into offices.

Employers will be expected to consult their staff about the best mutually beneficial way to return to the office.

Commuting on public transport during rush hour is still advised against and local councils will have the power to enforce local lockdowns, where they are able to restrict the use of public transport and close premises and outdoor spaces, as necessary.

The measures are part of a wider plan to get 'significant return to normality in time for Christmas', with Johnson saying he wants to 'hope for the best, but plan for the worst'.

The blanket 'work from home if you can' strategy was put into place in March when the coronavirus pandemic first hit the UK.

Boris Johnson announced this week that employees may be able to return to the office next month.
PA

Since then, many offices have stayed closed as staff at businesses across the UK have adapted to a new way of working.

The news comes after Chief Medical Officer Sir Patrick Vallance addressed the benefits of working from home, saying it's still a 'good option' for many.

Speaking to the Commons science and technology committee, Vallance said that distancing measures like working from home are still important for containing the virus, saying that Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) shared his views.

He said: "Of the various distancing measures, working from home for many companies remains a perfectly good option because it's easy to do.

"I think a number of companies think it's actually not detrimental to productivity. And in that situation, there's absolutely no reason I can see to change it."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Coronavirus, Politics