‘Hi honey, I’m home!’ was a familiar refrain as commuters returned from work after a day at the office. Since the beginning of the pandemic however, for many accountancy employees the commute has changed to a short stroll from one room to another.

Working from home has become the new normal and survey responses from employees in many industries including financial services have backed up that it’s unlikely some will ever return full-time to the office. And why would they? Technologies that allow smooth and effective remote working have been embraced in abundance in recent months.

As practices now plan for long-term offsite working, supporting remote staff while ensuring client needs are met is a new challenge and one that has brought the relationship between employee and employer into sharp focus. Trust has taken on a greater significance, as bosses have less physical oversight of the whereabouts of their staff.