Roughly one in three London workers have faced increased office attendance requirements over the past year, according to a national survey.
The poll of 2,000 people by commercial property company FI Property Group found 36% of workers in the capital said their employer had increased the number of days they were expected to attend the workplace.
This compares with 26% of respondents nationally, suggesting the push to bring staff back into offices has been stronger in London than elsewhere in the UK.
Across the country, 83% of those surveyed said they now worked from an office for at least three days each week, while 49% reported attending five days a week.
Almost half of respondents, 48%, said they were most productive in an office, compared with 26% who said they worked most effectively at home.
Office-based workers also reported feeling more connected to their colleagues.
More than three-quarters, 79%, said they felt closest to their team when working in person.
Social interaction appeared to be one of the main attractions of office life, with 57% of respondents selecting banter with colleagues as a benefit.
Face-to-face meetings were valued by 33%, while 32% said attending the workplace helped them feel connected to their company’s culture.
Almost a third, 31%, valued having a dedicated working environment.
Tim Knowles, founder and managing director of FI Property Group, said: “What’s clear from our new survey is that the office is definitely back.
“People want human interaction and feel more productive and more connected in an office environment – whether that’s full-time or as part of a hybrid working arrangement.”
The findings also indicated employees’ expectations of their workplaces have risen since the pandemic.
More than two-thirds of respondents aged under 30, 68%, said they now expected more from an office than they did before Covid-19, compared with 52% nationally.
An on-site café or access to food was the most popular improvement which could encourage employees to attend more frequently, selected by 29% of respondents.
Workers said they would be prepared to travel for an average of 39 minutes to reach an office that met their expectations.
Knowles said: “From our previous research we know that people now demand more of their office space so it matches or betters the home workspace in terms of comfort and facilities.
“Information we’ve taken on board when designing our latest office developments such as 1 Newbridge Square in Swindon and 58 Clarendon Road in Watford.”
However, the survey also found that employees continued to value the flexibility offered by home working.
More than half, 53%, cited being able to dress casually as a benefit, while 45% valued completing household tasks such as putting on a wash.
A further 44% said avoiding commuting costs was an advantage.
Television and household chores were identified as the most common distractions at home, each selected by 33% of respondents.
Children were cited by 32%, followed by social media at 29%.
FI Property Group manages commercial property across the office, industrial and retail sectors.
Featured image credit: FI Property Group
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