The UK financial services sector is not prepared for the majority of its staff working from home, according to a survey from workplace analytics firm Leesman.
As COVID-19 (coronavirus) reaches pandemic status, governments around the world are urging people to work from home where possible. This comes as part of contingency plans to curb the outbreak and protect employees from spreading or contracting the virus.
Companies are taking this advice and letting their employees work from the comfort of their homes. The problem is the businesses might not be ready for this.
Leesman surveyed over 700,000 employees around the world, of which, 265,840 were working in the financial services sector. Of those respondents, 56% had never had any home working experience.
Of the respondents to have worked from home, 84% stated they only do it for one day a week or less, and only 1% had worked from home for more four days per week. Furthermore, of those homeworkers, only 40% had a dedicated room for work.
Tim Oldman, Leesman CEO, said: “Home working will undoubtedly prove pivotal in limiting the impact of coronavirus crisis. But the data suggests that many employers and employees across the financial services sector will be out of their depth should British businesses be forced into lockdown.
“Our advice is for organisations to quickly quantify where their main obstacles will be and seek support.
“We know how and why corporate offices impact employee sentiment but have significantly less understanding of even the short-term impact of dispersing teams to environments designed for living, not working. Industries must brace themselves, but the financial services sector must remain one of the most cautious.”
Copyright © 2020 FinTech Global
