The Future of the Workplace 2021

The 2021 XpertHR benchmarking survey on the future of the workplace, looking at how UK employers are planning to adapt or change their practices for the future, with COVID-19 restrictions easing across the UK. The first survey in this series focuses on the variety of options employers are planning or considering and capture the process, challenges and benefits to the business. The survey is based on responses from 296 organisations with a combined workforce of 371,429 employees.

Survey questions

• Has your organisation had to make changes to where some or all employees work during the coronavirus pandemic?
• Does your organisation have a strategy for post-COVID-19 working?
  • What factors did your organisation consider, or is it considering, when developing its strategy for post-COVID-19 working?
    • What factor has had or is having the most influence on the development of your organisation's strategy for post-COVID-19 working?
  • Has your HR function been involved in developing your organisation's post-COVID-19 workplace strategy?
• Is your organisation considering, or actively planning, making changes to where some or all of its employees work following the coronavirus pandemic?
  • What changes relating to work location is your organisation considering or actively planning?
  • What upper limit is there on the proportion of employees who can work as fully-remote workers at your organisation?
  • What upper limit is there on the proportion of employees who can work as hybrid workers at your organisation?
  • What upper limit is there on the proportion of employees who can work as employees based in the workplace at your organisation?
  • When is your organisation planning to introduce the temporary or permanent changes to working models?
  • What does or will your organisation provide for employees who work remotely, either on a part-time or full-time basis, for their remote work space?
  • Does your organisation have an equipment budget per employee working remotely?
  • Does your organisation arrange for an onsite workstation assessment for any employees working remotely for any period of time?
• Is your organisation considering or planning any changes to employee working patterns compared with pre-pandemic arrangements?
  • What changes to working patterns is your organisation considering or planning, or has recently put in place?
  • Does your organisation have an upper limit on the proportion of employees who can take up the opportunity for flexible hours?
  • When do you expect the planned changes to working patterns at your organisation to come into force?
• Do you expect that your organisation will need to make amendments to employees' contracts of employment due to the changes being made/to be implemented to working models or working hours patterns?
• Does your organisation have a review process in place to monitor the implementation of post-COVID-19 working plans?
• How do you think employees will react or how have they reacted to the plans for the future of the workplace and/or working patterns being proposed or put in place?