City of London expects most workers to return after pandemic
reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-bri...
reuters.comPosted Mar 30, 2021, 12:04 PM UTC
2053
reuters.comWhats that office owners and Middle managers forcing a situation for their own advantage.
Many dont have the ability to easily leave for a better work situation. Sad to see all this progress lost.
27
They think that because they want to return to the office, everyone else does. A flexible model does not seem to occur to them.
9
I honestly think its more selfish than that, I'm pretty sure its more about self interest. Although this could vary i suppose.
6
middle managers?
2
WfH seems to be wanted at least part time by most. Hopefully this continues
19
It's an interesting one, some businesses/organisations seem quite happy with it as it has the potential to reduce costs and because they have been able to push those costs onto staff. That might well not be sustainable and obviously offering WfH and in office work might well tip it toward being more expensive generally. I don't think there are simple answers from a business perspective, but yeah, most people I know seem to like the idea of ad-hoc working at home and occasionally going in to work for meetings etc.
1
I work in the city of London (not finance but the physical place) and I can't wait to get back to the office. Maybe not 5 days a week every week, but at least a few days a week. Most of my longterm friends I've met through current and past workplaces, including a couple of romantic relationships. Not to mention a ton of acquaintances. All that has been on hold for a year now. Can't wait to get back to drinks after work, deciding which lunch place to get food from, where to go for a coffee meeting etc etc.
I'm not a workaholic in any sense, but leaving the house, going to work (and related activities like beers after work) was a valuable part of my life which is depressingly still on hold.
15
I completely understand that and it must be a relief that it’s coming at some point.
It’s interesting because for me it’s the opposite - I’m dreading the day we can (or must) go back to the point of considering just taking a break from employment (not ideal but...), so in a way I’m kind of looking forward to that time too. The past year has been difficult for me (like many others) so I don’t need to add commuting time to my life, waking up way earlier than currently and having less free time at home, or eventually reaching a time where I’m working and it’s dark outside before I leave the office. Also makes things like going to see my GP trickier.
Also not having to worry about either lunch in the morning or going out somewhere to buy it, or feeling the need to hang out in a pub where I can’t drink for health reasons and am too socially awkward to enjoy it or be interesting.
Really hoping going into the office to be optional or for me to request this with reasons why.
19
Reality for office workers in a big city is night and day compared to those of us who work in the middle of nowhere. Everyone at my office drives, so there’s no after work drinks or much of a social scene. It’s very different in the London office.
14
Also work in the city and completely agree with you.
I never left my office but i'm looking forward to welcoming my colleagues back.
4
Most of the people moaning about going back into the office on these threads have crippling social problems. Imagine what they must be like to work with.
-11
Maybe we just don’t like spending 8 hours a day in a room full of other people we wouldn’t choose to socialise with?
I’m a huge extrovert but my office is in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no after work drinks or lunch trips out. When I go down to the big office in London the atmosphere is completely different and I can understand why many people would miss that, particularly if you’re good friends with your colleagues. But that’s not the reality for many, if not most workers.
I’d rather take the extra hour in bed, personally.
10
I work in the City and my colleagues are fun people.
0†
[removed]
2
Full time though? Most people want a flexible model, with fewer at either extreme. Surely offering that is best as it satisfies everyone and requires companies to do little to facilitate it.
2
Arguably that might end up a lose/lose, the businesses don't get to reduce office costs as much as they'd like and have to deal with the inefficiency of dispersed staff... I'd argue it's worth it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't add up and at some point employees are going to want something for the additional costs they are taking on too.
1
Full time though?
you know if you click the title you get a whole article to read.
1
[removed]
1
No shit
The “new normal” crowd have been proven wrong
-16†
[deleted]
31
People move on fast, things will go back to how they were pre pandemic fast
-13
[deleted]
22
[removed]
1
Most modern organisations had already allowed working from home, typically on Fridays. I don’t see how anything will be different to that
-12
I work in I.T we had a few people working abroad before all this kicked off, now my company can save a fortune on rent I expect our department will have a location for meetings and that's it
2
not really. theyre expecting most to go back on less. days in the office and more of a mixxx which is exactly what the new normal was supposed to be
10
That’s exactly how modern companies operated pre pandemic
-5
“What people are telling us is that they are expecting their central office base to remain at the core of their business with people coming in three or four days, working different hours, so we are expecting the bulk of the return,” McGuinness said.
6
I actually think 3 days per week would feel very different. Factor in some annual leave and you could have almost half the number of people in the city. That would have a huge impact on how things work.
3
Nothings been “proven” yet, we are still in lockdown. That said it’s obvious most people will be returning to the office most of the time,
I think if there is a new normal, it will be attitudes towards working from home, will go for I need to work today because plumber/kids/whatever, to I’m working from home today because I can’t be bothered driving in. Our office has been moving that way starting a few months before the pandemic, and that was just down to the costs of property in the centre of the city.
6
Imagine being so insecure that this is anything you care about. The fact that bunch of nameless, faceless people were wrong about something they spent 5 mins thinking about and never mentioned again.
2
Sounds like I struck a nerve, kinda seems like your comment might describe yourself
3†
Up next on cutting edge journalism: "is the sky blue?"
1
Another I saw recently “Returning London workers will boost cafe sales”
8
Say it ain't so!
2
It does not change the fact that the demand for WFH is there, only that companies are reluctant to offer it.
1
[deleted]
1
because the hedge and pension funds that stuck all their money in business properties are shitting themselves that workers might actually stay at home. be interesting to see how many Murdoch owned media group have invested in said property as they seem to be driving the 'Work From Home Bad' message hard at the moment.
What hedge fund invests in commercial property?
The love the free market until it turns against them.