Working from home has become synonymous with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result of lockdowns across the world, many jobs were forced to go completely digital to help halt the spread of the infection. But once the crisis abated, large numbers of people did not return to the office, preferring to conduct their business from the comfort of their homes. Afterall, the work got done whether or not people were in the office, right?

Life During Covid-19

During the pandemic, working from home was seen as doing our duty as a human race to save lives and keep the virus contained. We proudly took up the fight, converting extra bedrooms into offices, holding virtual meetings over Zoom (wearing obligatory blouses and suit jackets paired with pyjama bottoms for a professional look), and proving to ourselves and our bosses that we could be just as productive at home as we are in an office.

But after the pandemic ended, the age-old question returned—are we as productive at home? For many business owners, working from home meant more time for employees to focus on non-work tasks and become lackadaisical in their work. Thus, for many of them the answer to that question was a resounding ‘no,’ and large companies such as Facebook, Google, and X (formerly known as Twitter) led the charge on mandating a return to the office, much to the chagrin of employees, some of whom pushed back by ‘staging walkouts and [even] quitting despite the tight labour market’.

Productivity

So let’s address the question of productivity. Forbes recently published an article focused on the statistics of working from home versus working in an office. A poll of more than 1,000 votes conducted on the site showed that 39% of people were still working from home, compared to 25% that worked in an office, and 24% that had a hybrid schedule. What is interesting is that Forbes indicated that before the pandemic, only 4.7% of UK employees worked from home.

Of course, we know that the pandemic was the catalyst for the shift, but now in 2025, a few years out from the pandemic, the numbers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. This is because employees overwhelmingly (a staggering 91%!) have developed a positive view of remote working.  Workers find that they have fewer distractions at home, allowing them the freedom and flexibility to complete work more quickly which ultimately leads to greater wellbeing. A vast majority also found that their work life balance improved when working from home, though some admitted that it was difficult to detach from work at the end of the day. The only major disadvantage found was that it was harder to collaborate with others, but many didn’t see this as a huge obstacle, with video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams being widely utilised.

Business owners were also polled by Forbes, and those who chose to implement working from home permanently into their business model quoted ‘improved staff wellbeing,’ ‘reduced overheads,’ and ‘increased productivity’ as their response. Such businesses are in good company as it’s been found that companies that offer hybrid working schedules to their employees find it easier to hire and retain workers as opposed to those which have full-time in-office policies.

The Future of Business

So is working from home the future of business? Well, that depends. Studies have shown that CEOs would prefer if workers return to the office, with 64% believing that everyone will be back working in the office by 2026, and 87% admitting that they are more likely to give raises and promotions to those employees who come into the office. There is an obvious disconnect between business owners and their employees when it comes to working from home, and the future of working from home or in the office is still an ongoing discussion that must be addressed by both sides.

Here at Pure.Content, we pride ourselves on developing a positive work environment for our employees, which is why we offer a hybrid work schedule as a benefit to all of our employees. We understand that happy employees produce quality work and provide exceptional customer service to our many clients. Contact us today and allow our exceptional team to optimise your business.