Office Working

[Universal VR]

I don’t work in the town centre. I drive for 45 minutes to sit at a desk and do exactly what I can at home. I don’t go out to lunch as there’s nowhere to go. I WFH for 18 months, during a lot of that time I covered three other full time jobs while they were furloughed. We were ordered back to the office with no flexibility. It’s affected my mental health and stress levels are way up again. I’ve gone from an improved work/life balance to non stop on the go. I’ve requested, argued for and championed WFH to be told it was detrimental to the company. The two directors who told me that WFH now. I feel angry, let down and used. I’m too old to get anything else but sometimes feel I would rather be dead than spend 4 more years in that workhouse. I have a half day holiday today to get on with some jobs at home and I’ve had to bring my laptop with me as I’m waiting for an important email.

[loldis]

Originally Posted by Sew109

If we don’t get back into our offices our town and city centres will die.

See more...

Town centres were dying long before Covid, all it did was hit the accelerator. But I would argue the belief that places will die without office workers. This might be true in heavily skewed office areas like City of London (who will adapt and find a new market) but towns still have local populations. I know for me, I'm far more likely to pop to my local coffee shop now where I never did when having to commute. I'd say my local stores have gotten more money from me in the past 18 months compared to all the years previously when I lived here but commuted to London or other towns.

[mitch84]

Originally Posted by tony2503

If everyone continues to work from home the knock on effect to towns and cities will be terrible.

There will also be a terrible effect on pubs, coffee bars and sandwich places that have already suffered terribly.

See more...

To some businesses yes, but whenever I go to Manchester or Liverpool city centre it’s still really busy. Full of drinkers, people watching the football, sightseeing etc. Similarly with our local town centre, that’s not dead. Our village pubs are consistently rammed.
My husband runs a sandwich shop and his clientele has changed a little, he was really worried as the 2 main offices near by are still wfh. But he is getting more residential traffic, people sat at home and wanting a walk out etc. So it about nets out.

Personally we go out slightly more, as I have marginally more disposable income, but a lot more time. I also want a change of scenery from the house.

I think some businesses may of course suffer, but hopefully a lot can diversify.

[P&S]

Originally Posted by Sew109

If we don’t get back into our offices our town and city centres will die.

See more...

I used to drive 30 mins (if lucky) to my office, park up, take my own lunch and cup of tea making items and my own water bottle so I really don't see how I would affect the local town centre (nowhere near my office), I have always took my own lunch, drinks and never leave the office space at lunch time as there is nowhere to go.

[Lizzim]

Originally Posted by Sew109

If we don’t get back into our offices our town and city centres will die.

See more...

They might, but if I go back to the office I still won’t be buying lunch etc as I never did before…..there are lots of people like me.

[annachief]

Wfh or blended working may impact on some city centres if they rely on office workers, I’m not sure that’s a valid argument to change what is now working well for both employee and employer. With all the talk of levelling up if this was embraced by government/business it could be a great thing to bring workers out of London/City Centres to towns that need more investment as in theory you wouldn’t need to live in the vicinity. Plus could also be beneficial for those workers who struggle to afford a house in a city, think could be a change for the better if we embraced it!

[vhm672]

City of London is already busier again. The offices are starting to return and certainly from my walk home tonight you could tell from the people socialising (Thursday has always been the big night) that things are getting back to a sense of normality.

I am a lawyer and whilst I can work from home there are issues with documents, post etc. plus we are a teaching profession and that is much easier in person. Also as we are client facing we need to be responsive to clients requirements to in person meetings. Yes I expect a hybrid office/ wfh approach but I am not convinced that we will not be more in the office than not in a years time.

[folkie]

I'll probably never go back to work in an office again.

I'd been working from home since last April and my company had started to make noises about us starting to go back on a voluntary, flexible basis, but I left at the end of September.

I started my new job last week and this one is permanently remote - in fact most of the company (and my entire team) work remotely, and have done for many years - the whole company (software) is set up that way and everything works really well, it's just the culture and everyone accepts it.

I plan to retire at 60 which is in four years' time, so hopefully this will be my last job.

My husband's company (also software) cut back on their office space four years ago and he's been home based since then anyway, so now that's both of us. The dog loves having us around, and as we plan to move some distance away in the next couple of years it gives us complete flexibility.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by tony2503

If everyone continues to work from home the knock on effect to towns and cities will be terrible.

There will also be a terrible effect on pubs, coffee bars and sandwich places that have already suffered terribly.

See more...

Will it ?
When people were WFH because of lockdown obviously they didn’t go out for anything but essential reasons but once WFH by choice and with everything open people will and already are doing things like wandering around the shops at lunchtime, meeting people for lunch just they are doing it locally. Also without an exhausting commute going out midweek for social reasons in the evening is far more do-able .
Yes it’s a social change and perhaps the locally owned businesses rather than city centre chains will benefit , which incidentally as a side benefit will bring more business to the dying local high streets and re-energise them.

I’m a little different in that I’ve worked from home for years but I’m already seeing local friends for lunch who previously commuted to London daily .
It will take time as some people have got used to “staying home” and are still readjusting but overall people have more time without a work commute and more energy but they also have more disposable income if freed from the financial burden of commuting costs ( as an example the forty minute commute from here to Victoria without adding on tube is four and a half thousand pounds a year for an annual season ticket , many people commute much further). That’s an awful lot of extra disposable income to put back into the economy ……and an extra let’s say twenty to forty hours to spend it in (previously spent stuck in a car or on public transport) , every month !

In another vein it’s interesting how many people find their productivity is lower in the office than at home.

[Harry]

Not for me... WFH is nothing but a pain in the neck... tomorrow is my one day a week at home...probably another day of connection issues... drop outs... the nature of my job is amending traders accounts that can be in the millions... its not for the faint hearted on a good day never alone when youve had a day of connection issues... nope office all day long for me thanks.