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One third of Irish staff would quit if home-working not supported

Written by Robert McHugh, on 9th Oct 2020. Posted in Technology

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A third of Irish office workers admitted they would leave their current company if not offered the option to work from home, either part-time or full-time, on a permanent basis. 

The study was commisioned by DataSolutions and conducted by Censuswide on August 2020 and involved more than 500 Irish office workers. It showed that 69% of workers are satisfied with the options their organisations are offering in terms of working going forward.

Some 39% of respondents will be expected to return to the office full-time, although less than a fifth (19%) have done so presently. Thirty-seven per cent of workers will be given the option of splitting their week between the office and home in the long-term, including 34% of those workers who only recently started working from home as a result of the pandemic.

The majority of workers believe their company IT strategy was implemented quickly (59%), was adequate (58%) and has been effective (50%) throughout the pandemic. However, 46% of those say their company needs to update its IT strategy for the future.

Furthermore, 38% of organisations have not communicated their plans to staff in terms of a return to the office in the future. While 71% of respondents say their companies have invested in getting the office ready and compliant following the pandemic, more than half of organisations (60%) have not allocated budget to allowing workers to create a more permanent working from home environment.

This is despite the fact that 50% of the employees in these companies have spent their own money on same and three-quarters of workers say their productivity levels are either the same or better when working from home than in the office.

Speaking this week, Group Security Sales Director at DataSolutions, David Keating said, "While uncertainty remains in some respects, what is certain is that the normal we once knew is gone for good. Moreover, the new way of working that is being widely discussed needs to be enacted now with a well-thought-out strategy, proper investment and clear communication."

He added, "Companies need to ensure they are empowering people to work well from the office and at home with an effective IT model, underpinned by the right technologies and a robust infrastructure, that facilitates a hybrid approach and supports flexibility in the long-term. Too many companies are standing still at a time when they need to make decisions and move forward. Times are changing, therefore it’s time for change."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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