Has the health crisis definitively transformed the relationship between office ? It's hard to come up with a global answer, because habits differ so much from one market to another, and from one company to another. So TravelPerk surveyed 2,000 employeeswhich are equally divided between the United Kingdom and United Stateslast March. And while the impact of the Covid experience is not exactly the same on the two sides of the Atlantic, the attachment to physical meetings seems to be unanimous, or nearly so. According to TravelPerk58 % of British employees believe that the meetings face-to-face meetings are important because they create a sense of belonging to the team. In addition, 43 % believe that they stimulate productivity and creativity. In the United States, the creative aspect is cited most often (51%), ahead of "team spirit" (49%).
" Technology will never replace the magic and energy that exist when people come together in person. "says Avi Meir. " That's why so many companies are keen to encourage workers to return to the office, and why many employees are in favour of it - because meetings that count are held in person "continues the CEO of TravelPerk. Avi Meir concludes: " The need for personal contact is deeply rooted in our identity as human beings, and this is very clear from the survey. These real-life contacts enable meaningful interactions, business opportunities and team successes, which are necessary for businesses to thrive. TravelPerk exists to make this happen ".
However, this generalised return to the office - and to the 'old world' in general - needs to be qualified, with some employees praising the advantages offered by the 'new world'. teleworking. Admittedly, American employees have visibly returned to their pre-pandemic routine. Indeed, a comfortable majority of those surveyed (62%) say they have adopted the same way of working as before the crisis. But almost one employee in five (18%) has nevertheless switched to a hybrid format. And only 24% of those surveyed now go into the office five days a week.
In the UK, the shift is more marked. According to TravelPerk, 57 % of UK workers worked entirely in the office before the pandemic, compared with just 30 % in 2023. British employees particularly appreciate the time and energy savings on home-office journeys made possible by teleworking. This is even the main advantage of teleworking for 46% of those surveyed, ahead of a better quality of life. work-life balance (43%). A quarter of employees also point to a positive impact on their mental and physical health (27 %). But perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from this TravelPerk study lies elsewhere: British employees are clearly happy. In fact, 79% of those surveyed said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the working model in their company.
