THIS WEEK
News Analysis New working arrangements
MOST SURVEY RESPONDENTS BACKED TWO OR THREE DAYS OF WORKING IN THEIR OFFICE
Out of office? Staff back two or three days at workplace, despite inclusivity concerns
A survey of trade staff shows the majority hope to work two or three days a week in the office, but many want flexible working to go further to aid accessibility to the trade
A
Ruth Comerfor @ruth_comerford
24 30th April 2021
rd rd
s publishers start announcing their plans for a return to office
working later this year, an industry poll conducted by The Bookseller has revealed the major- it of staffers would prefer to work a blended model of two or three days a week in the office. The survey also found a signifi- cant number of employees are concerned about safet, particu- larly those who have to commute via public transport, or who may be going back into offices before receiving a Covid vaccination. With more than 360 responses,
heavily dominated by publishing staffers (91%), the survey found the most popular option for hybrid working was three days at home and two in the office, with 40.2% saying this would be their
ideal arrangement. Just over 5% wanted to work one day a week from home, 24.6% two days a week, and 13.3% four days a week. Just under 2% of respondents wanted to return to the office full-time, while almost 5% selected full- time working from home as their top choice. Ten per cent wanted a different option (Other, 10.2%), such as commuting once or twice a month for important meetings, or having a few days in the office every fortnight. Hachete, the first publisher
to announce concrete plans, will roll out a policy for three working days in the office each week, while Bloomsbury has opted for two days in the office in future, with both mounting a partial return on 21st June. While some
[I have become] more aware of accessibility issues in the industry which affect not only staff but also authors, illustrators and booksellers Survey respondent
staff were happy with the arrange- ments, others were critical, with one Bloomsbury employee saying they were “disappointed” in their employer as they felt the new policy was made as a “fait accompli” prior to consulta- tions. “Publishers can’t claim to be flexible but then insist on
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