PRCA survey finds industry in disagreement on in-office returns

Almost a quarter (23%) of leading PR industry figures taking part in the latest PRCA Pulse survey are in favour of returning to in-office working as soon as possible. But feelings are mixed, as 19% report a reluctance to return.

Carried out by The Pulse Business, the new survey asked respondents: ‘Which one of these statements, if any, best describes your feelings towards returning to the office?’. The breakdown of responses was:

– 23% I would like to return to the office as soon as possible
– 35% I’m somewhat looking forward to returning to the office
– 23% I have mixed feelings at the moment
– 19% I’m reluctant to return to the office
– 0% I do not want to return to the office at all

Returning to in-office working will be hard for many PR teams who have found new ways of balancing home life with career concerns during the lockdown, discovering the ease of using team chat and file sharing software and enjoying time away from stressful commutes. While some will be eager to get back into the buzz of a busy working environment, businesses will have to navigate ways to make potential returns to the office work for everyone.

‘Senior leaders and business owners will need to be aware of the diversity of feeling on this issue,’ said PRCA Director General Francis Ingham of the mixed survey results. ‘While the majority of our industry’s leaders view a return to office life as a positive development, a sizeable minority do not. Many cite concerns over using public transport as their number one worry.

‘Until confidence is established on that issue, a sizeable minority of our industry will continue to eschew office working. Industry leaders will need to adopt a flexible approach to safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the months ahead.’

Read more from the latest PRCA pulse results here. Concerned about returning to the office? Check out 11 tips for getting mentally prepared for a return to workplace working.