The University of Hull demonstrated again its position at the ‘cutting edge’ of research, when it presented its latest findings on remote working in Parliament (5 December 2022).
The research report highlighted that the global pandemic had shown that most public services and a majority of businesses in the UK could manage and in fact did undertake remote working.
However, whilst remote working was perceived as a temporary measure, as a means of managing the pandemic, its flexible and agile working patterns are now showing greater appeal and wider usage than expected across the UK – particularly in Hull.
Some British businesses are considering its long-term application, post-pandemic, as an ongoing inquiry by BEIS is examining its contribution to our future economic growth.
Professor Hardy, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law and Politics at the University of Hull, who was presenting the research in Parliament, reported that: “With a headline finding that 60% of Hull workers/employers moved to remote working during the pandemic and that 80% of Hull employers/workers support remote working post-pandemic, plainly you can ‘live in Hull and virtually work anywhere.”
Dr Margaret Nicholson, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour/HRM and Director Executive Education at Hull University Business School, who is leading the research project, said: “This research is based on the collection of primary and secondary data and was conducted between March and June 2022.
“Primary data consisted of semi structured interviews, focus groups and surveys, specifically to capture the views of individuals. Our focus was to engage those who are likely to understand remote working in the context of the city of Hull, those who have experienced the challenges in creating coworking and remote working opportunities and those that have witness how remote working is evolving and emerging in Hull.”
As this important report records, given that 4m British workers were forced to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the continuance of over 60% British workers working remotely in 2020 cannot be ignored. The OECD reported that productivity increased by 60% as a result of remote working.
Above all, this report suggests that Hull – the place, its people and in partnership with its employers and employees – is ready to embrace remote working, in order to improve productivity as well as enhance the prosperity, diversity and work life balance of Hull. As the report concludes – work Hull, work happy, as you can live in Hull and work anywhere.