The coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to review and adapt the way they work, as lockdowns and social distancing restrictions meant they could no longer have their full contingency on site.
And while the country continues to return to life as we knew it pre-Covid 19, it’s likely many employers will keep their flexible working policy in place for the foreseeable future. Gary Stoker, director at chartered accountancy and IT firm Mullen Stoker, explains why. In today’s digital and technology driven society, flexible working has become much more commonplace. No longer do people need to be behind a desk in an office to do their job. In a café, sat on your living room sofa or even out in the garden are all popular choices for those who can do their job remotely. However, last year, when the country was plunged into the first of three national lockdowns, which ran across a 12-month period, pretty much every employer around the country was forced to review how they work and make significant changes to ensure they could continue to operate. And those changes highlighted a lot of positives for businesses – which is why so many are continuing with a flexible working policy even if they don’t need to. Gary Stoker is one of three directors at Durhambased chartered accountancy and IT firm Mullen Stoker, which services a large portfolio of regional and national clients in a broad range of sectors. Gary said: “During the pandemic, we supported many clients to switch to remote working and the feedback we’re getting from them is, that will continue. “I see many reasons for that. “Firstly, I think it’s highlighted that productivity can significantly increase when staff are working from home – it’s seen as a perk and something that employees have embraced, and with the added benefit that at home there tends to be less distractions than the office, they do get more done. “There’s also a significant cost benefit. If more people are working remotely, it means you need less space, and for larger businesses, the pandemic has been a real game changer. “Moving forward, I think hybrid working models which will be much more commonplace. They allow employers to create a better, efficient, and more relaxed working environment for their workforce alongside home and remote working which gets the best out of their staff.”
