Home working: too much of a good thing?

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic on many levels, for some office-based workers, the move to home working in March has been a breath of fresh air, literally. Colleagues have replaced commutes on stuffy trains and sitting in traffic jams with a walk round the park before firing up their PC.

Of course, for some staff home working has been very challenging. Those trying to home school or care for relatives can’t find enough hours in the day. And younger staff who need a greater level of mentoring and perhaps live in shared accommodation may also long for a return to the office environment.

At the present time, official government advice remains to work from home if you can and avoid public transport. Having said that, the prime minister has recently suggested that people should go back to work if