Conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of Glasgow-founded asynchronous video interview platform Willo, the aim of the UK-wide national survey was to understand how working habits have changed in the wake of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent series of lockdowns.

Despite the pervasive anxiety, stress, and pain surrounding COVID-19’s onset and spread, the necessity of the lockdowns provided many people with the opportunity to reassess what’s important to them, both in work and wider life — as well as introducing them to the work from home model.

Around 35% of respondents said lockdowns had made them more likely to consider leaving a job if their employers wouldn’t allow them to work from home, with people under the age of 45 being even more likely to do so (16–24-year-olds 48%; 25–34-year-olds 53%; 35-44 year-olds 44%).

In terms of geographical differences in Scotland, 43% of workers in Edinburgh said they’d leave their job if bosses asked them to return to the office full-time — which is higher than the national number. Meanwhile, around 30% of Glaswegians said they’d leave.

Further, more than half of all Scottish respondents said they would now consider applying for a job that enables them to work from home (54%), with about the same number considering roles that enable them to work remotely from anywhere in the world (53%).

Despite of the cost-of-living crisis driving up the costs of running a home, more than half of Scottish respondents (57%) also said they were unlikely to consider working from an office again.

Willo’s study also uncovered some intriguing data concerning Scottish workers’ attitude towards commuting — something that working from home eliminates either partly or wholly: more than a third of Scots said they will never spend as much time commuting as they did before the pandemic (37%), with those aged under 44 again less likely to do so.

The study’s results come on the backdrop of global employers increasingly calling on staff to return to offices, with a separate survey conducted by Slack published earlier this year revealing that 50% of leaders want workforces back on site.

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“The Covid-19 pandemic drove the biggest change to working habits since the industrial revolution. It changed what we thought was possible when it comes to work, and for the better,” said Euan Cameron, the founder of Willo.

“Sectors that were previously tied to offices have been liberated, with staff enjoying increased flexibility and choice, and employers reaping the benefits of more appropriate premises and access to talent once off limits due to geography or time zone. It’s a win-win.

“Three years is enough time to show a true shift in worker and employer behaviour. It’s no secret that lockdowns were the final hurdle on remote working going mainstream, but what this survey shows is that working from home is now considered a right, not a perk or privilege. If workers aren’t afforded it, they’ll vote with their feet and I think we ‘ll see more of that as years progress.

“It goes beyond work from home too – to work from anywhere. More than half of Willo’s workforce is based outside of the UK, and it brings huge benefits in terms of diversity, talent, and productivity. It provides access to a global talent pool rather than just regional.

“Nobody will forget the pain suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, but if there’s a silver lining it’s the acceleration of much-needed changes in the way we live and work, and they’re here to stay.”