Almost Half of U.K. Employees Want an Immediate Return to Work

(Bloomberg) --

Almost half of British workers are eager to immediately return to their offices, shops, and factories to start working again, a new poll found.

Employees fear their own personal financial situations are increasingly deteriorating the longer the country stays in lockdown as a result of the pandemic, according to the survey released by Montfort Communications Ltd. on Thursday. Only 28% oppose it.

U.K. to Ease Lockdown Monday But Firms Say Reopening Is Hard

“British workers appear to be ready to play a direct and immediate part in kickstarting an economic restart, and are prepared for major changes in the life of work to begin the process,” said Nick Miles, a founding partner of Montfort, a business consultancy.

• Three in 10 workers are reporting to their usual workplace during the lockdown and 43% are working from home at least some of the time.
• One in three workers believe pay cuts are likely and one in five expects firings if the lockdown continues
• Workers earning less than 20,000 pounds ($24,736) a year are three times as likely to not be working during the crisis compared with those earning twice as much.
• The survey, conducted by Opinium Research, polled 4,000 workers from May 1 to May 4.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.