Research from IWG has revealed that commuting is the biggest con of returning to the physical workspace for Brits. In fact, only 8% of respondents said they were prepared to travel over an hour to get to the office.
Additionally 57% said they want an office that is closer to their homes, with 77% saying that having a closer workspace is essential for their next job move.
IWG also reported a 22% increase in sales between June and August this year, which has been particularly fueled by a boost in demand for offices in the suburbs. The largest increase in demand in the UK has been in Plymouth, which saw a 114% increase. However, sales declined by 40% during the same period of time in London, indicating that workers are still hesitant to travel to the central hub.
“The changes we’ve experienced in how and where we work are here to stay. As we have seen during the pandemic, people have enjoyed working from home and have tasted the relative luxury of not having to commute,” said Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG. “This is unsurprising given a vast array of sources, from the Office for National Statistics to Princeton University, tell us continually that commuting is the least favourite part of the working day for many.”
Moving forward, employees would prefer to work three days a week in the office and a staggering 46% said they would look into leaving their jobs if they were asked to come in five days a week again.
