Insurance industry employees will retain the ability to work from home some days of the week, long after the covid-19 pandemic has faded from view, sources say. 

For some companies, work from home has always been an option, but it was only introduced on a large scale as a result of covid lockdowns and recommendations. The strict health measures have ended, but the new workplace flexibility has not. 

SME research company Cameron Research has concluded that many business owners are “frustrated” by the trend, with some believing that staff should always work from the office. However, even sceptics are going along with it due to the current tight employment market and a belief that staff “would walk” if forced back to the office five days a week. 

However, insuranceNEWS.com.au spoke to insurance companies large and small and found nobody to criticise the hybrid model, even when given the chance to speak anonymously. 

Most believe that some time in the office is required for training and culture-building, but that two or three days a week at home does not need to affect productivity and gives valuable work/life balance to employees. 

“These changes are permanent,” one senior industry source told insuranceNEWS.com.au. 

“Not many people want to come back to the office five days, and it’s not that difficult to monitor whether people produce the same output from home. 

“If people were at home all the time you’d lose a lot, but under a hybrid model you still get that interaction. 

“It’s good for the employee and people would walk if they were forced back.” 

See Analysis.