Since the pandemic started and the government imposed lockdowns, most people living in London, United Kingdom, are now returning to their working desks. According to Bloomberg, citing data from Google, over half of London’s financial district employees are back to their offices.
However, such a return has been gradual as some workers are working just a few days per week at the companies’ offices. Additionally, the report noted that the beginning of the school season bolstered the return of staff. It includes the workforce from bars, restaurants and coffee shops, which were most affected by the British government’s lockdowns.
The fact that over a half of the employees have returned to the financial district is significant, considering that they were sent home in March 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak started in most countries. In fact, most of the 540,000 workers in the Square Mile were required to go home.
In addition, data from Metrikus unveiled that employees entering offices in the major cities across the UK skyrocketed to 90% from 58% a week earlier. London is also witnessing an increase in transportation traffic, and thus congestion has sparked since the pandemic started, noting that the city is coming back to business steadily.
Credit Suisse Work-From-Home Policies
Some major banks worldwide had issued some work-from-home guidelines that ask unvaccinated people to stay at home and work from there. That is the case for Credit Suisse, which issued an internal memo last month to unveil the plans amid the spread of the Delta variant. However, plans for a total return to the offices in the bank will be delayed until October 18, depending on the circumstances, and are subject to changes.
Additionally, the firm adds that the Delta variant’s higher contagion rate is of special concern for them due to the current figures seen in the US.
