Dr Linda Papadopoulos on generation COVID

The younger generation are in two minds when it comes to the work life balance benefits of remote working versus the social shot in the arm of returning to the office, with the impact on mental health from sustained working from home periods taking its toll.

The new research by Nationwide and Ipsos MORI reveals that 49% of Gen Zers and 55% of Millennials feel under pressure to perform at their best when working from home, noting they need to spend time with their colleagues face-to-face in order to carry out their work effectively.

62% of Gen Z also want at least 3 days a week of homeworking, to maintain the new and established work/life balance.A quarter (25%) of Millennials want to work from home for five days a week. Just seven per cent of Gen Z and five per cent of Millennials want to work from home for only one day a week. Remote working could also be the ticket to working abroad – 46% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennials said they can now do their job anywhere in the world.

Despite the announcement of the UK roadmap providing some light at the end of the tunnel for us all, the return to offices remains a grey area and one hotly debated by business leaders.

Aston spoke to Dr Linda Papadopoulos, author, broadcaster and psychologist and Jane Hanson, chief people officer at Nationwide to discuss the impact on the younger generation the lack of social contact has had and also about the challenges across all age groups and professions throughout the pandemic and the national divide on returning to the office.

Photo by Glenn Carstens Peter on Unsplash