More than one in four Scots continue to work from home, with 27 percent reporting remote work in the past year, according to a Transport Scotland survey. This figure represents a 2 percent increase from 2024 and remains substantially higher than the 16 percent recorded in 2019, before the widespread adoption of remote work during the pandemic.
The survey on Scotland's travel habits also highlighted driving as the most common mode of transport, accounting for half of all journeys, with walking in second place. While bus and train ridership have seen increases, daily or near-daily use of the rail network has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The shift towards remote work has had a notable impact on Scotland's retail sector. David Lonsdale, director at the Scottish Retail Consortium, stated that retail destinations were significantly affected by the departure of office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that visits to Scottish stores are currently about a tenth below pre-pandemic levels, partly due to fewer commuters traveling into urban centers. Lonsdale emphasized the need for efforts to revitalize city centers and reduce operating costs for retailers to encourage investment and economic recovery.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the work-from-home practices of civil servants. The Scottish Conservatives have called for greater accountability, with finance spokesman Craig Hoy suggesting that remote work should not lead to reduced productivity, especially given public funding. Hoy argued that government employees should set an example by working from their offices rather than remotely.
In response to these discussions, the Scottish Government has acknowledged having a hybrid working policy, which it states is similar to that of many other employers. Last month, reports indicated that the government had directed civil servants to work from the office for at least two days per week, with Permanent Secretary Joe Griffin emphasizing the value of a balanced hybrid approach. This directive followed an earlier request for over 9,000 core civil servants to work from the office for a minimum of two days, or 40 percent, of their weekly hours, beginning in October of the previous year.