The working population has diverse preferences when it comes to designing the optimal working week, according to research by Aviva.
Almost as many people (14%) would prefer to work full-time in the office as would like to work from home five days a week (15%).
These findings are in the report – called ‘Thriving in the Age of Ambiguity’.
It also found more than half of men (52%) feel the most productive ‘hybrid’ work arrangement for them would involve three or more days in the office. However, only 44% of women agree.
Gender and generational perspectives on the most productive hybrid working pattern
| Total | Male | Female | Gen Z | Gen Y | Gen X | |
| Full time in the workplace | 14% | 15% | 12% | 18% | 16% | 12% |
| 4 days in the workplace, 1 day at home | 11% | 14% | 8% | 0% | 12% | 7% |
| 3 days in the workplace, 2 days at home | 24% | 23% | 24% | 49% | 23% | 22% |
| 2 days in the workplace, 3 days at home | 23% | 21% | 24% | 17% | 25% | 22% |
| 1 day in the workplace, 4 days at home | 15% | 12% | 17% | 9% | 12% | 21% |
| Full time working from home | 15% | 14% | 15% | 8% | 12% | 15% |
Aviva’s findings revealed half of employees (47%) have become less career focused as a result of the pandemic, up from a third (36%) in August 2020.
More than one in three (35%) workers feel their work/life balance has improved during the pandemic.
But one in five (20%) have been negatively impacted, while a similar percentage (21%) report a negative impact on how they feel about their job.
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More than two in five (44%) employees feel they can never switch off from work, while nearly as many (39%) feel their employer does not encourage them to do so outside of their contracted hours.
One result of this always-on, ever-present culture is that 40% of employees are concerned about work-related burnout.
Debbie Bullock, wellbeing lead at Aviva, said: “The journey towards the workplace of the future has been accelerated by the pandemic, from decreasing office space and increased homeworking to widespread digitisation and non-linear careers.
“Employees will look for something in return to encourage them back to the office, and employers must ensure offices become a destination for collaborating, mentoring and socialising to rebuild relationships. It is also vitally important that people are treated as individuals, rather than employers trying to impose a one-size-fits-all approach.
“The pandemic may have been a collective experience, but the impact has been fragmented in so many ways, with women especially facing particularly acute stresses from the blurring of lines between home and work.
“An always-on, ever-present culture is guaranteed to end with people’s batteries depleted, and it is essential that employers recognise long-term productivity is only possible if you make space for wellbeing to flourish at work.
“Businesses who choose to plough on regardless will discover to their cost that if you can’t make time for staff wellness, you will be forced to make time for illness and live with the repercussions.”
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