The eco-system of the City...

Do we have a moral duty to return to the office?

As we sit back and watch announcements from major firms flood the media about their plans to return to the office against a backdrop of Government pressure to cut down on working from home – where does your business stand?

Each business is having to reassess its working practices – how does it operate now that the office is everywhere? A bespoke strategy rather than a one size fits all solution will help balance the commercial challenges with the human considerations of bringing the workforce back to the office. And crucially, the operational changes are not just physical: in the post-pandemic office, employee mindsets and behaviour changes will need to be supported.     

What reassuring communication is it giving its workforce when social distancing in lifts and overcrowded transport are at the forefront of people’s minds? What message is it sending to its market when it maps out a future without a return to the office? What are the repercussions of these decisions on the local economy of the City and should businesses feel that they have a responsibility to help their neighbours in the retail and hospitality sectors?  

Where next?

Edge is already working with many businesses on a ‘Nimble’ execution plan to help re-occupy the workplace in what is being recorded as the most dramatic shift in our lifetime.