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As offices slowly begin to open across the UK and employees start returning to the workplace, it appears all will not be as it was before with many firms adopting a more flexible approach to office/home work. But it’s not just our place of work that has changed, in a recent study by instantprint, the booklet printing specialists, they found that people’s habits and tolerance to bad habits have changed since the pandemic.
How has office culture changed?
The pandemic taught everyone that we don’t need to be in an office full-time, and with current restrictions set to be lifted completely on July 19, not everyone is ready to return to work. In fact, a recent survey shows that more than half of respondents are worried about contracting Coronavirus in the workplace, with 43% concerned about being exposed to it on public transport.
Both of these valid fears have left many wanting to remain on a more permanent basis at home. But it’s not just the fear of contracting Covid that has changed office culture. Once a nation of huggers, it appears over a third of office workers are happy to see the back of the hug – and think it’s one of the worst habits. Only being beaten to the top spot by coming into work with a cough or cold (37.4%) and not washing your hands after visiting the toilet (42.9%).
Despite many office workers preferring to work from home for most of the week, face-to-face still matters because it creates rapport and trust. But the once-common act of heading over to see a colleague for a chat might be a thing of the past, with the study finding that nearly one-fifth of respondents find sitting on a co-workers’ desk pretty disgusting.
How can businesses embrace the new change?
The pandemic has shown that many businesses who actively avoided allowing employees to work from home, can not only survive, but can in fact thrive.
Not only that, but as a nation with dogged determination to show up to work no matter how ill, it appears managers have had a change of heart. With over 34% of management agreeing that coming into work with a cold is just not ok anymore.
Ultimately, the world has fundamentally and irrevocably changed and as both consumer and employee priorities change, it’s imperative that businesses adopt a change that reflects this.
We’re more aware than ever of our own (and other people’s) hygiene and bad habits, with 41.2% stating that they would call someone out on their gross behaviour. Ultimately, businesses need to speak with and listen to the concerns of their employees and create a workplace in which people feel happy, safe, and healthy.
