Blended home and office working calls for better set-ups

It seems increasingly more likely that many businesses will adopt a blended or hybrid-working model once the pandemic ends. The new model will allow employees to choose how and where they work and allows this to vary as needed.  

However, while many enjoy the comforts and flexibility that home working has to offer, it’s not all smooth sailing. A recent survey carried out by Epson, revealed that nearly a quarter of workers have found their motivation has decreased since the start of lockdowns and a further 45 per cent believe that their motivation will decrease further as home working continues. This is in part due to a lack of suitable equipment - in fact, 42 per cent of current home workers claim that a lack of appropriate equipment has impacted their productivity.

So, if employees are to be given the option of where they work, then both the office and home environment need to enable them to do so effectively. To achieve this, employees must be armed with the tools to stay as motivated and productive while working at home.

Of course, businesses will not have an endless pot of money to supply equipment and not all employees need the same tools, so it’s vital that consideration is given on an individual basis.  According to our findings, the need for equipment varies - some do not have the right chair (38 per cent), others want a better display (26 per cent), more than a quarter say they need a new printer and a further 37 per cent need more ink or toner.

It will also be important to understand softer motivators and to select equipment that addresses these. Nine out of ten employees, for example, would expect any equipment supplied to them to be environmentally friendly.

Our EcoTank printers, for example, are a great way for businesses to cater easily to individual employee needs. They have large ink tanks that you fill with ink bottles instead of cartridges. From the start there is enough ink to print up to 14,000 pages ¹, which saves money and time as there is no need to frequently change cartridges. The set-up is simple, refilling is mess free and it’s reliable too, turning out page after page of quality prints

If blended working is to become a new, permanent working model then both working options must be equally viable. And getting this right will go a long way to ensuring a motivated and productive workforce.

Note: This Blog is part of a series of editorial and social media content, created by Epson, that explores the habits and opinions of people working from home across Europe during the pandemic. It is based on the results of research carried out by Epson in January and February 2021. 1,000 Epson printer owners working from home were polled across 11 countries (Italy, UK, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark). Other content can be found on our website and across our social media channels