STOCKTON-based telecommunications firm Odyssey Systems says the second lockdown adds further weight to the trend towards a permanent adoption of working from home.

Mike Odysseas, founder and managing director of the firm, said many businesses and organisations want to avoid the uncertainty of future coronavirus restrictions by adopting new working arrangements.

This, he said, is evidenced by a survey that reveals more than 90 percent of British employees do not want a full-time return to the office.

He said: “The second lockdown introduced last week throughout England only serves to remind companies that they need to remain reactive and agile – and that means staff being able to work remotely from home.

“People recognise the benefits of dividing their working time between office and home, so they receive the best of both worlds – maintaining human interaction to stimulate creativity whilst adopting a more flexible lifestyle to improve work life balance.

“Introducing so-called hybrid working arrangements not only makes sound business sense but is extremely popular with employees – which means there is likely to be improved productivity.”

The YouGov poll found that only seven percent of British workers wanted to return to the office full-time, once coronavirus restrictions are lifted – of those, men were keener to return, with 49 percent, than women, 44 percent.

Of the 4,373 adults interviewed, 72 percent said ‘comfort’ was their key reason for wishing to work from home whilst 50 percent said they felt more productive.