WeWork: Vaccine rollout must herald a phased return to offices before June
Following the news the highly effective coronavirus vaccines would begin to be rolled out in Britain, the stock market surged on a wave of optimism and the hope a return to normal, and by extension, the workplace, was within our grasp. Alongside the roadmap out of lockdown, we can now see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Ministers are right to be cautious as they chart Britain’s way out of lockdown and take a careful, phased and data-driven approach. However, there remains a significant amount of uncertainty for the City’s office-based businesses.
There are no current plans to review the work from home guidance until the final step on 21 June, alongside the reopening of the nighttime economy, and at least five weeks after the review into international travel and reopening of indoor hospitality and entertainment. This review now needs to be brought forward so that a phased return to the office is put firmly on the agenda.
Whilst the past year has shown that working from home can be done, it has become abundantly clear that it is unsustainable as a fulltime solution for all businesses. It has, at times, stifled productivity, collaboration and career development.
The government has rightly put an emphasis on mental wellbeing, as lockdown has taken its toll on all of us, in different ways.
In October WeWork conducted a global survey of professional workers who had returned to the office, which showed a 40 per cent improvement in morale for those returning from one to five days a week. Many workers are not set up for sustained home working, with less than half of UK office workers having exclusive access to a dedicated workspace at home.
We have seen this with many of the SMEs who use our spaces and who, before the latest lockdown, led the charge back to our buildings. Without in-person collaboration and the resources to support indefinite working from home, there is a risk innovation could stagnate.
Crucially, though, as the Chancellor has recognised, this extends far beyond the individuals, offices and businesses. As one of the largest occupiers of office space in London, we also know firsthand the important role offices play in supporting the city’s ecosystem.
The hospitality, arts and leisure sectors are amongst the hardest hit by this pandemic and, whilst the announcement of the Restart Grants is positive news, their recovery remains intrinsically linked with the return of office workers. Our buildings are tied to the success of the cafes, gyms, pubs and restaurants which have flourished around them.
Of course, safety has to be prioritised, but offices should be given the opportunity to adapt in the same way as other businesses. Our business model enabled us to adapt our spaces with speed and efficiency over the past year. Paramount to this was having our health and safety measures, response plans and space modifications independently audited and verified by Bureau Veritas, a renowned audit agency. We have spent over $20 million on modifying our locations around the world.
Many businesses have made similar, significant efforts to make their workplace “COVID secure”, and are eager to welcome workers back safely. These endeavours must be acknowledged by ministers, as they decide whether to prolong work from home advice into the distant future.
Businesses up and down the country are working to overhaul their workplace practice and introduce more flexible, hybrid ways of working, but they now need greater clarity so they can plan their return. By bringing the review forward and the potential for a safe, phased return to the office, we can help reduce the negative effects that full-time remote work has had on countless people and support the reopening of the economy as soon as the public health situation allows.