1 in 5 London office firms expect staff to work from home five days a week after pandemic
One in five businesses which were office-based before the pandemic expect staff to work from home for five days a week after the Covid crisis finishes.
That’s according to a poll of 520 business leaders by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which also found that nearly half of firms that are able to work remotely expect employees to work from home for up to five days a week.
“What’s most interesting from this data is the percentages of businesses who were primarily office-based pre-pandemic that are now expecting their staff to work remotely for varying proportions of the week, including all of it in some cases,” said Richard Burge, chief executive of LCCI.
Virus concerns
When citing their reasons, companies and employees said they were more concerned about contracting Covid while commuting rather than in the office.
While remote working has been expected to continue in some form, the latest figures point towards a weighty impact on the workplace.
“The pandemic will deliver a remote working legacy in London,” Burge said.
“Eventual lifting of the work from home guidance will of course increase commuter footfall in the centre, but seemingly many businesses have already made decisions regarding their premises and ways of working once restrictions are lifted.”