Remote working in NI has more than halved since pandemic peak

The employee survey found that two to three days per week working from home was the norm for more than half of respondents

Just over 17% of the Northern Ireland workforce is engaged in some form of remote working, new analysis by Ulster University economists suggests.

That compares to 41% at the peak of the pandemic in April 2020 and under 10% before the pandemic in 2019.

The rate of remote working in Northern Ireland is well below the UK average of 31% and the lowest of any UK region.

The analysis draws on official data as well as an employee survey and interviews with NI employers.

The online survey of 865 employees, 87% of whom worked at least one day a week away from their workplace, was conducted in early 2023.

The consultation with business owners or senior HR managers covered 14 private sector firms, five public sector organisations and three focus groups with other businesses.

All were organisations that adopted remote working in the pandemic and have managed this since.

The researchers said the consultation with employers suggests that "current working patterns are probably here to stay, that they are working well for staff and there is no evidence of a 'secret longing' to return staff to the office".

However, the consultees said concerns remain around certain aspects of work, including collaboration, team culture and the impact on younger people and new recruits as they try to integrate into the workplace and build networks.

This in turn has raised issues around the need for support and development for line managers to develop new approaches in a hybrid environment, with many feeling they have been "left to figure it out themselves".

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The employers also suggested the impact on productivity remains an open question.

Measurement remains a difficult issue and consultees were not sure whether more hours worked meant more output or better quality.

The employee survey found that two to three days per week working from home was the norm for a majority (55%) of respondents.

There was a high levels of satisfaction (80%) among those where a hybrid or remote working policy is in place - particularly if there is certainty around the arrangements.

Issues typically fell into two categories: equity - where the policy is not being implemented consistently by all line managers across the organisation - and communication.

The survey respondents were overwhelmingly of the view that their productivity was higher when working remotely, a similar outcome to most self-reported surveys in the UK, Canada, US and elsewhere.

Hybrid environment

Economist at Ulster University Economic Policy Centre Ana Desmond, said: "Where remote working is possible, it appears from this research the best way to strike a balance between management and employees at present is a hybrid environment where workplace days are coordinated bringing teams together to facilitate innovation and creativity, alongside fostering corporate culture, whilst at-home days allows specific tasks to be completed with more focus and attention."

"Businesses may need to adapt management and mentoring practices to ensure employees feel visible, integrated, and appropriately trained for the job within the workplace."

She added that those with management responsibilities "may now be responsible for creating a sense of place within the workspace alongside coordinating employees".