A new survey has found that the vast majority of United Kingdom Public Servants have adapted well to remote working and want to continue working flexibly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the survey revealed concerns around collaboration, security and data protection practices.
Some 73 per cent of respondents said they could carry out all their responsibilities while working remotely the survey, conducted by the Global Government Forum and Dell Technologies, found.
A further 22 per cent said they could do most of their work from home.
More than nine in 10 respondents said they had all the tools they needed to work remotely, while four-fifths had access to all the applications and datasets available in the office.
About three quarters of the more than 900 workers surveyed said their home broadband speeds were equal to or better than those in their usual workplace; and a similar proportion said they felt as well managed as they did when in the office.
Asked whether they’d like to work remotely more frequently in the future than they did prior to the pandemic, 82 per cent agreed.
Moreover, 72 per cent said that doing so would improve their wellbeing.
Most also felt this would increase Public Service productivity.
However, a substantial minority of respondents expressed concerns about collaboration and team coherence in a remote workforce.
Nearly a third (30 per cent) agreed that collaborating and communicating with colleagues was a struggle when working from home, although 54 per cent said it was not.
The research did identify some potential gaps.
More than a third of respondents said their organisation had not been in contact to check that they were observing data protection rules, and 40 per cent said they haven’t been asked to check that their home WIFI settings were secure.
London, 6 May 2021
