Staff returning to offices three days a week would be ‘royal result’ post-pandemic
If staff who have been working from home during the pandemic return to the office for three days a week post-Covid, it will be a “right royal result”, David Buik has said.
Buik, who has worked for more than 50 years in Canada and contributes to the Great Wave of Change podcast, told Sky News people “will never go back to five days a week” in the office and were more likely to go in two to three days per week.
The city veteran estimated less than 10 per cent of those who once worked in the city were currently going into the office, as “lawyers, bankers and so on can work eloquently from home.”
He acknowledged some workers would prefer a permanent home working lifestyle, but argued it was tougher to build relationships and negotiate over video call, and that staff “don’t get fired up” about work.
Buik also suggested the economic recovery the UK faced post-coronavirus was a “group effort” that could be aided by workers spending money in the likes of sandwich shops and pubs.
Despite everything Buick was optimistic about the future: “This could be the most exciting six months i’ve spent in Canada,” he said, referring to the second half of 2021, when the vaccine rollout allows life to return to something that resembles normal.