BoE boss Bailey expects a permanent shift to ‘hybrid working’
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey today said that he expects working from home to stay, with a ‘hybrid’ model of home and workplace set to become the norm.
Bailey told BBC Radio 4 that he predicts a permanent change as habits and practices are proved to be sustainable.
“I would be very surprised if things went back to how they were before Covid,” he said.
“I think for many people there will be more of a hybrid model of working from home and working in a place of work.”
Bailey claimed that he was “looking forward” to a return to normal working patterns but does not expect to see it entirely revert to traditional methods.
He noted that the retailing industry has already changed dramatically in the last year, and suggested that pandemic-driven habits may be here to stay.
“We have had the most extraordinary year in running the Bank of England largely by people working at home and doing a fantastic job.
“That’s true across the country and across the economy and I congratulate everybody who has managed to do that.”