The lifting of Plan B restrictions has not quite succeeded in getting everyone back to the office, but it has certainly made progress.
In an article analysing how City of London workers have responded to the end of the working-at-home guidance, The Times noted that there has been a significant increase in the numbers commuting back into their offices.
Speaking to the paper, director of research at the thinktank Centre for Cities Paul Swinney observed: “London definitely feels like it has been busier in the two weeks since restrictions were lifted.” He added that he felt people are “much more prepared to go back” than they were when the previous ‘return to work’ bugle was sounded in August last year.
This has been borne out by transport data, showing that in the fortnight after the restrictions were lifted, journeys to and from Tube stations in the City of London rise 15 per cent, while at Canary Wharf they were up 33 per cent.
Research by the Times and Sunday Times found that central London footfall was up 14.5 per cent in this time, well ahead of the five per cent seen in other cities. These figures remain well below pre-pandemic levels, but they are on the rise.
All this means now may be a time to contact a water cooler company in London, as demand to use such devices is likely to increase in the coming months as more people return to work and the weather warms up.
Of course, not everyone will be persuaded that they should return to the office – at least yet. The Metro News recently suggested extra steps firms could take to help bring workers back, including changing the nature of office to make them more communal places.
The article suggested this could involve more places where people could sit down together at lunch. This may not be possible, but it may be that creating a place where people can at least meet together over a drink of water could be a great start in creating a friendlier environment that people want to be in.