Survey shows only a third will return to office full time post-pandemic

New research has shown that just 34% of workers will return to their office on a full time basis once the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

This is according to a survey of CEOs, Human Resource and other executives with responsibility for employees at over 250 companies in Ireland carried out by recruitment company Sigmar, and multinational professional services firm Aon.

The findings show that those surveyed believe that 22% of employees will remain working remotely permanently, while 44% will alternate between office work and working from home.

Of the latter cohort, over 90% will spend three days or less in the office.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make its impact felt, 81% of Irish employees are working from home, while 13% are working in the office on a full time basis. 6% of people are combining remote working with time in the office.

Speaking to RTE’s The Business, Sigmar Recruitment’s Chief Corporation Officer Robert Mac Giolla Phádraig said
“The reality is that two thirds of Ireland’s workforce will see permanent changes in their work practices. That is a massive shift that affects the majority of us,”.

The research concludes that eight in ten workers are working remotely full time in the current environment with 13% full time in their workplace.