On average, Scottish employees want to work 2.8 days a week from home – a rise of 254% compared with before the pandemic. The UK average following the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions is 2.35 days.

The research has also shown that Scottish respondents are enjoying a variety of other benefits linked to hybrid working practices.

On average, Scottish respondents enjoyed an additional 1.7 hours of leisure time a day when working remotely, which scaled up equals 442 hours a year or almost 20 days extra (18.4). This is offering them greater control over their work/life balance and more freedom to exercise, relax or spend time with family.

The way we work is not just impacting leisure but business deliverables too. Across the UK, business leaders polled by the CEBR said that increased remote working has resulted in a 4.9% increase in customer satisfaction, a 3.6% increase in employee satisfaction and a 3.4% increase in productivity since 2020.

In addition, hybrid working is making Scotland an appealing option for skilled workers from the rest of the UK. Our research found that - of those employees who indicated a willingness to relocate thanks to remote working - Scotland could see an influx of 238,000 employees.

Assuming that employees would retain their current jobs and salaries before moving to the region and working remotely, the influx could lead to a £7.1 million injection into the Scottish economy. This is the highest economic uplift of anywhere Virgin Media O2 Business and the Cebr surveyed.

Mike Smith, director of large enterprise and public sector at Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “This research shows that embracing hybrid working can have concrete economic and societal impacts for Scotland and no doubt other areas of the UK.

“Now, business leaders need to ensure they are listening to their workforces and offer choice. This includes access to technology but also training with the relevant hardware, apps, and security. Supporting staff in this way will lead to happier employees, stronger sales and more modern and resilient regional economies.”