There was a 282% increase in spending on electronic devices off the back of the pandemic with the Home Office increasing spending from £5,514,950 in 2019 to £21,047,896 in 2021, fuelled by the onset of remote working.
Laptops accounted for 66% of the total outlay on devices, with £34,737,000 spent on 43,088 laptops. There was a 324% increase in purchased laptops between 2019 and 2021.
The calendar year of 2021 saw the greatest investment from the Home Office, with 28,915 devices being purchased, totalling an overall expenditure of £21,047,896, as the Home Office looked to better equip staff for hybrid working.
Research conducted earlier this year found that hybrid working is more popular among people in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK.
The study from Virgin Media O2 Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found that, on average, Scottish employees want to work 2.8 days a week from home. This is a rise of 254% compared with before the pandemic.
For the UK, the average number of days people want to work remotely following the lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions is 2.35 days.