Young staff least likely to work from home

Young Londoners are leading the return to the office in Britain, but older workers’ preference for working from home is causing the country to lag behind rivals.

In a survey of work habits in London, Paris, New York, Sydney and Singapore and Toronto, London had the second-lowest rate of office attendance, according to Centre for Cities, a think tank. Paris had the highest rate and Toronto the lowest.

Gen Z Londoners aged 18 to 24 are in the office 3.1 days a week, while those aged 35 to 44 average only 2.5 days. Attendance rebounds slightly to 2.7 days for those 55 and over.

Younger workers may be keen to return because 43 per cent say they work best in the office, compared with 25 per cent at home. This may be due to younger workers having less space and privacy at home.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “The standard narrative is young workers are shirkers, but actually [they] are back in the office and it’s the middle or more experienced workers that tend to be less in the office.”

Despite the majority (95 per cent) of workers surveyed by Centre for Cities noting the benefits to being in the office, including collaboration and building relationships, office working is still below pre-pandemic levels across all cities.

The government is pushing for more flexible workers rights, including plans to implement a four-day working week.

Only 29 per cent of those aged 34 to 44 and 55-plus say they work best in the office.

“The attractiveness of working at the kitchen table alongside others is quite different from being able to wander down your garden or go into your specially constructed shed, which is undoubtedly what’s happening for some as they get older,” Carter said.

“There’s no substitute for the benefits gained thanks to face-to-face interaction, particularly for younger workers. Having access to the wide variety of activities and experiences that offices in city centres offer is crucial for them, and the businesses they work for, to be successful.”

Mandates to be in work have tightened. Just over a year ago, 25 per cent of workers had no mandate to be in at least one day a week; today that has fallen to 7 per cent. More employers could introduce mandates, as only 9 per cent of workers say they would look for another job if employers increased the requirements to work in the office.

Centre for Cities suggests that employers subsidise commute costs to help to lure reluctant workers back in, as Parisian companies are expected to do. The government could help by bringing back Transport for London’s trial for off-peak Friday fares.

“The question is, can the government, the mayor of London and firms work together?” Carter said. “The national economy would probably be better off if we can stimulate more face-to-face interaction.

“London has huge assets — world-class public transport, deep labour markets and lots of cutting-edge firms. Encouraging more people back to the office, to be in line with other global cities, will enable the capital to continue to play the important national and international roles in the future.”