Chancellor Rishi Sunak is leading calls for workers to return to the office, citing benefits for young people beginning their careers. A former employee of banking giant Goldman Sachs, Mr Sunak believes he may not have achieved key career milestones if he worked virtually during this early period.
In England, the Government recommended a gradual return to work from July 19, while the Scottish government signposted August 9 as the beginning of a return to traditional offices.
Express.co.uk has spoken to psychotherapist Yuko Nippoda, spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy, about the negative impact of working from home. She cites “burnout” as a dangerous repercussion.
Ms Nippoda notes that working in isolated environments such as one’s home can result in “frustration, a loss of joy, claustrophobia or even depression”.
She said: “If you are the kind of person who likes change, such as travelling to other places for a business trip or meeting new people through networking, the restrictions of the work environment can cause lots of negative feelings such as frustration, a loss of joy, claustrophobia or even depression.
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On the subject of returning to offices, Mr Sunak said: “I doubt I would have had those strong relationships if I was doing my summer internship or my first bit of my career over Teams and Zoom.
“That’s why I think for young people in particular, being able to physically be in an office is valuable.”
A recent survey has found workers feel pressured to hide their mental health struggles as many are struggling during the pandemic.
The survey found that 51 percent of people who responded felt under pressure to hide their mental struggles.
Four out of ten said they felt less resilient since the beginning of the pandemic.
