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Exhibitions and events are valuable for businesses because they allow face-to-face communication and offer opportunities for networking.

Energy costs drive workers back to the office this winter

19 September 2022

Almost half of hybrid workers say they plan to go into their office more often this winter to save money on energy bills.

A new survey conducted by Instantprint has found that 85% of office workers now find the idea of working from the office more appealing as the cost of living rises. Nearly half (45%) of hybrid workers say they will commute into the office to alleviate the impact of high energy bills this winter; 15% say that they'll choose to work from the office throughout the winter.

However, the findings suggest that 15% of offices do not have capacity to handle a full team since working from home has become the norm. Laura Mucklow, head of Instantprint, said: "With the demand for office space set to surpass maximum capacity for many businesses, it's important to prepare your space and processes early for remote and hybrid workers coming into the office.

"If your office space doesn't have the capacity for a full team, you'll need to find a way to manage the space fairly, for example by introducing a seat booking policy. From tidying up the office to modifying it with wall mountable storage, make sure everyone has equal opportunity to work from the office as and when they need to this winter."

The cost of energy is not the only reason that many hybrid workers are being tempted back into the office. The survey findings also show that workers are keen to work in the office because of:

  • Collaboration opportunities (cited by 46%);
  • Better work-life balance (46%);
  • Free tea, coffee and snacks (39%).

The survey also found that nearly one in four (24%) of UK workers feel that their employers could be supporting them more during the cost of living crisis, and 73% believe that employers in general should be doing more to support their workers with their rising energy bills. Four per cent of respondents say they aren't being supported at all - equating to over 1.3 million employees in the UK.

Employees are looking for a number of ways to get support from their employers, including:

  • Pay rises or bonuses (cited by 45%);
  • Education on tax relief (44%);
  • Incentives to use public transport (39%);
  • Free hot drinks (37%);
  • Incentives for car sharing (33%);
  • Free hot meals (23%);
  • Finance and budgeting training (22%).

Despite men and women stating that they are both as likely to come into the office more this winter (58% and 59% respectively), men are more inclined to find this an appealing option (86% vs 83%). Men also feel more supported by their employer than women ahead of soaring energy prices (73% vs 65%).

Written by Rachel Miller.

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