Exclusive: Three-quarters of London firms set for office return by September
Almost three-quarters of London businesses are planning a return to the office by September, a new survey by Addison Lee has revealed.
Of the 142 firms asked by the taxi firm, 74 per cent said that they would be making a return to their workplace over the coming months.
And more than half of these (51 per cent) said that they would do so by 30 June.
The figures, which Morning Wire can exclusively share, come as the government prepares to ease its working from home guidance next month.
After over a year of homeworking, many are desperate to get back into their offices, although several corporate giants have already said they will turn to a hybrid model of work post-lockdown.
Big four accountant EY was the latest to do so, revealing on Monday that staff would only be required in offices three days a week.
For many firms, the benefits of returning to in-office work were cited as foremost in their desire to get back into workplaces. 71 per cent of respondents said that bringing people back to the office would drive better collaboration.
But many employees remain concerned about using public transport after the pandemic, with 53 per cent of workers saying that they would be more comfortable going back to the workplace if they did not have to do so.
In order to ease these concerns, 71 per cent of firms also said that they were considering offering
employees greater flexibility around travel times and working hours.
Addison Lee chief executive Liam Griffin said: “Many businesses are keen to get back into the
workplace, to give employees the opportunity to see one another and enjoy working together again.
“But our research shows that safety remains employers’ number one concern when
planning the return to the office.”