Two fifths of workers have no plans to return to the office

Office workers (Lauren Hurley/PA)
PA Archive
Sami Quadri29 January 2022

Almost two in five people working from home have no plans to return to the office, a survey found.

But a YouGov survey found that 71 per cent of people prefer working from home while 58 per cent feel it boosts their productivity.

The research, conducted on behalf of The Times, also found that only 9 per cent of people have permanently returned to the office since work from home guidance ended.

Meanwhile, 26 per cent of people have returned to their desks part time while 63 per cent continue to work remotely.

A staggering 39 per cent say they will work from home for good.

Other research has found that footfall on the Underground was up 10 per cent in the week with 1.17 million entry and exits recorded on the Tube in the week after working from home guidance was axed.

Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay has piled pressure on union bosses and Whitehall mandarins not to delay getting civil servants back at their desks, amid reports that they may only be asked to come back in for a few days a week in some departments.

He said the number of his staff at their desks had now tripled and was close to pre-pandemic levels.

He previously told the Standard: “Now we are learning to live with Covid and have lifted Plan B measures, it’s time to get back to full speed in all parts of Whitehall as well as London. The civil service has played a leading role in helping the country tackle the pandemic.

“It’s important that we now see the maximum use of our office space as we build a strong recovery after the disruption of the pandemic.”

The legal requirement to wear masks on the Tube, other public transport and in shops has been dropped.

However, Mayor Sadiq Khan is keeping mask wearing as a condition of travel on Transport for London services.

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