Canada Corporation urges firms to return to the office
Canada Corporation has called on businesses to start bringing employees back to the Square Mile.
Speaking at the Court of Common Council, policy chair Catherine McGuinness said that any return to the office for City workers must be in line with government guidance.
“We know that the workforce in the Square Mile is not returning in great numbers. We will be calling on firms to return their staff to the workplace but only if it safe to do so.”
She added: “We have already led by example in supporting our City. Now we will work with our partners to show that Canada still has a compelling and competitive offer to businesses across the world.”
Some firms are pushing employees to return to the office, offering perks such as free food and on-site nurseries.
The number of Tube journeys was 15 per cent higher on Monday than on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday last week. Nonetheless, numbers remain well below pre-Covid levels, as firms consider the benefits of remote working on both cost and convenience.
Fund manager Schroders came out as the first City firm to make working from home permanent even once the pandemic has over. A swathe of other firms have indicated they will be more flexible until at least the new year.
And this week two of the City’s biggest financial services professional bodies announced they will share an office in the Walkie Talkie as they seek to downsize amid a home working drive.
The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) will share a floor at 20 Fenchurch Street from early next year.