Research from environmental charity Hubbub has indicated that workers want to double the amount of time they work from home from prior to the pandemic.
While this could mean great things for workplace wellness, the environmental impact it could have is cause for concern.
The research found that 68% of the 3,000 UK respondents noted an increase in electricity usage in their house compared to the same time last year, while 54% saw a growth in gas use.
However, only 15% of respondents said their employer was helping contribute towards these increased costs.
Even more, companies who have made commitments to decreasing their carbon footprint and becoming more sustainable have not adapted these initiatives to apply to the post-pandemic workplace.
“If businesses are to achieve the ambitious environmental targets they are setting, they need to adapt and update their environmental policies to reflect this new way of working, including how they calculate their carbon emissions,” said Natasha Gammell, project lead at Hubbub. “This may mean for example, reporting on energy and water use of employees whilst working from home.
Hubbub suggested different actions employers can take in order to help their employees become more sustainable when working from home.
This includes supporting their workers to be more environmentally stable and educating them on how to do so. Additionally, the organization should be transparent about how they are tackling their sustainability goals and how workers can play a part in this.
