Employers 'don't expect' full-time office future

A BBC survey of the UK’s 50 biggest employers has found most do not expect all workers to return to their offices full-time in future.

The firms contacted cover 1.1 million workers in the UK. Forty-three of those questioned expect to utilise a mix of home and office working after June, with staff encouraged to work from home two to three days a week.

The companies told the BBC they were opening offices "in line with government guidance", meaning many plan to reopen from 21 June. Some have reopened their offices to a limited number of workers.

A number of companies have been shutting offices, with some saying they will wait until leases run out. The BBC reported that Capita has closed 49 out of 294 of its offices since the start of the pandemic, while accountants Deloitte has closed offices at Gatwick, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton.Lloyds Bank said it planned to close 20% of its offices over the next three years. Newspaper group Reach has closed its district offices as part of a move to a hub-based model. Welsh Water shut its head office last year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56972207