Shirking from home brings a new WFH leisure boom as golf courses, personal trainers and beauty therapists are increasingly booked up during office hours
Whether it’s working out at the gym, going for a round of golf or popping to the hairdressers, we all have our ways of unwinding after work.
However, research now shows workers are increasingly doing it on company time – opting to ‘shirk from home’.
The leisure industry appears to be experiencing a surge in demand during the afternoon, particularly in the sport and beauty sectors.
Fitness instructors are more in demand, golf courses busier and beauty therapists are increasingly booked up during office hours, data suggests.
The figures from SumUp, a contactless payment processor, show the amount of money spent midweek in the hair and beauty industry jumped by nearly 5 per cent last year compared with 2019.
Research now shows workers are increasingly doing it on company time – opting to ‘shirk from home’ (file image)
While some may have the option of flexible working, which allows for afternoon leisure sessions, employers fear home working could be encouraging ‘home shirking’ too (file image)
The rising trend was most prominent in northern cities such as Liverpool, where midweek spending was 10 per cent higher.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics found that 44 per cent of the workforce are now based at home some or all of the time.
While some may have the option of flexible working, which allows for afternoon leisure sessions, employers fear home working could be encouraging ‘home shirking’ too.
Evidence also points to more working golfers joining retired players on the course during the week.
Meanwhile, data shows a similar picture in the US.
Researchers at Stanford University used mobile phone location data near 3,400 golf courses to show there were nearly 300 per cent more people playing at 4pm on a Wednesday last August than three years earlier.