Yahoo Finance Evening Standard Comment: It’s time to prepare for the great office return
The ability of millions of Londoners to work from home during this pandemic has been one of the success stories in our battle against Covid-19. Still, remote working has had a severe impact on town and city centre businesses and for many the isolation has had an impact on their mental health.
A report for City Hall last month found that, if office working returns only to two-fifths of pre-Covid levels and tourism does not recover until 2031, London’s economy would be £36 billion smaller and 86,000 jobs put at risk compared with a no Covid scenario.
A steady, safety-conscious return to the office is therefore essential for the capital’s recovery. We need to plan for it, demonstrate how it can be done safely and remind everyone of the benefits of office life.
Reticence is understandable — many have got used to their new WFH routine — but now is the time for everyone to pull together and prepare for the great return.
The Government should lead by example. There are worrying rumours that civil servants will not return to Whitehall until the autumn — this would send a terrible signal.
Studies have found that the Tube and bus network is safe; bosses need to work with TfL and City Hall to communicate this. Simple but crucial things like opening windows and ensuring offices have proper ventilation must be put in place. Companies also need to ensure workers get access to free rapid Covid tests.
Each step must be thought through. Covid-19 continues to be highly contagious. Variants with the potential to evade vaccines remain a risk. But our rapid vaccination roll-out means that 87 per cent of Londoners over 50 have received their first dose.
And new research suggests that two-thirds of London workers would be comfortable with returning to their offices by the June 21 roadmap target.
Some working from home will continue after the pandemic, as workers and managers enjoy the greater flexibility new technology and working practices confer.
But it is undoubtedly the case that, particularly for younger employees learning their way or those in creative sectors, human proximity beats the dreaded “I think you’re on mute”.
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