More than a third (38%) of UK workers worked from home in mid-May, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Many offices are planning to cut coffee costs and adopt a “hybrid work” culture.
Earlier this month, Ernst & Young told its employees that they will be expected to work from home for at least two days a week, even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted. “Its 17,000 staff will move to a “hybrid working model”, combining home working with the office, as well as client visits, The Guardian reported.
The same report also stated that increasing demands for home offices pushed the company Smart Garden Rooms, Offices & Studios to its best-ever month in April, when it notched up £750,000 of sales, more than double its monthly average.
According to the DIY and building supplies retailer Toolstation, “The trend is being repeated elsewhere. Sales of garden buildings rocketed by 500% between January and May, compared with a year earlier, while sales of sheds soared by more than 460 per cent.”
The pandemic not only locked us down within the four walls of the house but also glued us to Zoom calls, GoogleMeets and virtual meetings. It’d be interesting to know if not even one person has had their meeting interrupted with the sound of a utensil in the kitchen, the sound of furniture or wind or a baby crying in the background. Many people have craved a working space that isn’t home but fulfils the criteria of work from home. Some Britons, who have garden or backyard spaces, are choosing to do that by constructing ‘shoffice’, an office in a shed. Some workers are using the attic space.
Asian Voice spoke to Joseph John, who has created a ‘shoffice’ like space at his home.
“Ours cost around £15K and didn’t need any specific permissions as it’s a mobile unit,” John said. Does that help the quality of work actually improves productivity when you have such a space? John said, “Yes. It helps focus and avoid distractions.”
“It helps keep a workday routine. It also enforced a boundary for our son during work hours,” he added.
Addressing the aspect of controlling temperature, John said, “You do spend a lot of time in the office. It can get really cold in winter. Don’t just use a wooden shed, get a purpose-built office. Also, acoustics can be a consideration for the many conference calls you’ll be on.”
However, Subhash Thakrar, Vice President and Past Chairman, London Chamber of Commerce, thinks differently.
Sharing his thoughts with Asian Voice, Mr Thakrar said:
"I used to travel to the city from my home every weekday to go to my office in the west end and the city. The return journey was 2 to 2.5 hrs a day. I must say that I got used to this as once when you are on the train, there is time to rest or read or listen. However, the fact is that 2.5 hrs of the day are taken.
"For the last 5 yrs, I have been working from my study at home which opens on to my garden. It is a separate room in the house and therefore not a shed out in the garden. The convenience of getting up and going to the kitchen for a drink or snack and getting out on the patio for fresh air is very welcoming. A friend of mine set up his office in the outhouse in the garden but found it too isolating such that he converted one of the bedrooms to a study with the house.
"I would therefore say that having a workplace in a shed may not be such a great idea to spend all the working time in. Also, the internet and power connectivity can be a challenge. A shed may not be as secure as a room in the house as you do need to have a PC, printer and other equipment.
"With Covid experience, there is now a clear benefit in working from home, at least 2/3 days a week. You save the drudgery of travelling time and I believe the efficiency levels are very good. Meetings can be held remotely and quite effectively. So are attendances of webinars. So a lot can now be done from home without missing any of the events. There will now by hybrid arrangements where some participants will join remotely and others in person."
