Remote working is killing city centres...but what's the alternative?

[Eastie77]

Reading today about Pret cutting almost 3,000 jobs and articles about the death of city centres due to the lack of office workers. My company has announced that all employees can work from home for another year. I honestly doubt our central London office will re-open or at least in the form it took before, ie they may just keep renting part of it for occasional client meetings.

The government is pushing workers back into the office but realistically people are not going to go back while they have the option to WFH and companies have realised they can save on office costs and get the same output from their staff. I am happy to WFH but I really feel for all the local businesses that relied on office workers and are now facing closure. I work close to our office and 6 independent coffee shops and small cafes have closed😔 Not sure what the answer is.

Working from home could help the environment and reduce pollution, so I’m not sure why there’s such a rush to return to old ways of doing things, particularly when they could be actively harmful to us now.

As others have said, I’d be happy to have a return to local communities with resources rather than everything centralised.

Yes there may be some casualties, but isn’t that the way capitalism works? Other new ventures can take advantage of the behaviour change.

I can imagine those pushing a return to expensive office blocks are usually in favour of capitalism.

Office lighting is designed to emulate daylight so that in winter, come 3pm when it's getting dark, our body clocks aren't telling us it's time to be sat by the fire with a glass of wine and starting to think about putting our PJ's and bedsocks on.

I really wonder if those of us working from home will find our body clocks start to kick in around November and businesses find afternoon productivity goes down.

Thankfully where i work is starting to let people back. I need to go back a few days a week, I'm miserable and it's getting worse, i hate being stuck at home all the time, it reminds me the world is currently broken

Everything in the university I work in is online for semester one at least, except practical labs. I’m in what they now call professional services (support) and honestly we’re seeing so many withdrawals and deferrals. I don’t blame them in the slightest.

@Thanksitsgotpockets

Office lighting is designed to emulate daylight so that in winter, come 3pm when it's getting dark, our body clocks aren't telling us it's time to be sat by the fire with a glass of wine and starting to think about putting our PJ's and bedsocks on.

I really wonder if those of us working from home will find our body clocks start to kick in around November and businesses find afternoon productivity goes down.

This is a good point, and I think a reminder that we are still in the very early days of this WFH experiment. It's one thing to be WFH in summer, during a crisis period when a lot of allowances are being made. Let's see how it works out if it goes on long-term. I think it's really too soon to say how things will pan out - it could, as an above poster said, lead to a welcome decentralisation and a better work-life balance. Or it could lead to outsourcing and social alienation. Or, one year from now, much of this experiment could be reversed. Too soon to say.

I have been reading about some of the government's master plans to coax 'frightened' people back onto public transport and into central London. One is to offer one free return journey to London to anyone who hasn't traveled in over the last few months. Apparently the journey will persuade them all is safe and well

I don't think it's fear that's keeping people off the tubes and trains so really, what is the point.

The economy needs people to spend money, but working from home saves you thousands of pounds per year, hundreds of hours, helps the environment, helps you see more of your children...etc.

Seems that the solution is for other people to go back to work, spending lots of money to do so, while you work from home.

@Smelborp

Working from home could help the environment and reduce pollution, so I’m not sure why there’s such a rush to return to old ways of doing things, particularly when they could be actively harmful to us now.

As others have said, I’d be happy to have a return to local communities with resources rather than everything centralised.

Yes there may be some casualties, but isn’t that the way capitalism works? Other new ventures can take advantage of the behaviour change.

I can imagine those pushing a return to expensive office blocks are usually in favour of capitalism.

I agree. People need to remember that the town/city centre chains etc grew at the expense of small/local/independent shops which closed down in huge numbers in the 80s and 90s. Any reversal of that trend towards people working and shopping closer to where they live has to be a good thing.

Although sad for the city centres, it is much nicer to have places where people actually live more lively during the day. I think there will be a long term shift with offices being smaller

Less commuting is better for the environment too.

The independent shops near us are booming. As are are the corner shops, Starbucks and Greggs. And Morrison's cafe at lunchtime. There must be benefits to spending on your local economy rather than in a city 50 miles away.

Pret etc could look at WFH demographics and relocate their shops in different communities.

@Thanksitsgotpockets

Office lighting is designed to emulate daylight so that in winter, come 3pm when it's getting dark, our body clocks aren't telling us it's time to be sat by the fire with a glass of wine and starting to think about putting our PJ's and bedsocks on.

I really wonder if those of us working from home will find our body clocks start to kick in around November and businesses find afternoon productivity goes down.

I start work at 5am so I can get half a day's work in before DH needs the office at 9. I'm not frightened of 3pm.

Not everybody in London is avoiding using public transportation??

Or are office workers special and don’t have to mix with these “ others” ?

Pret etc could look at WFH demographics and relocate their shops in different communities

There was an interesting interview with their CEO on the Newscast podcast last Friday. They are doing exactly that plus more deliveroo (possibly with evening meals) etc. Ice-cream style coffee and sandwich vans were also mentioned which I think would be great.

They could turn offices into homes.

It's like some propaganda about why the office/commute is good for us. No it isn't. If you want to/or can then go in but I read stuff extolling the virtues of the office by people who have the choice. I know people who had commutes etc to go to work online, work they can do at home. Making real money savings in terms of fares, petrol, food etc. There was an abundance of shops but now it's time to change. Big companies are saving big money getting people WFH but it will settle down and those who want to be home should be allowed to.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-fear-chris-whitty-could-22613759.amp

I don't recognise my situation in many of these posts. I live and work in a city (but from home at the mo). No one I know ever went to Pret for lunch or commuted that far to work. Most people walked, cycled or got the bus for a few miles. I also live not far from the city centre and do all my shopping, eating out and socialising there. Even during corona. The city centre IS a place where people and families live and go to school and is far from being dead.

[quote Egghead68]www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-fear-chris-whitty-could-22613759.amp[/quote]
Chris Whitty should stand up for science logic and facts.

How does being pushed back into workplaces fit with the new rules on no gatherings of more than 6 people?

@Egghead68

Pret etc could look at WFH demographics and relocate their shops in different communities

There was an interesting interview with their CEO on the Newscast podcast last Friday. They are doing exactly that plus more deliveroo (possibly with evening meals) etc. Ice-cream style coffee and sandwich vans were also mentioned which I think would be great.

I'll check that out. Cheers.

Regarding location, I am not allowed to continue in my contract unless I live near enough to get into the office when needed. So overseas wouldn't be ok. Also they want me covered by UK laws etc I think.

Your contract of employment is with a UK company. UK laws will apply anyway.

I think, for now, people are caught up in their own small bubbles. We feel safe, we need to feel safe. When the airlines are back up and running, things will mostly revert back to the way they are, with a concession to WFH one or two days a week. Large corporations want people socialising and working together. Many companies want to keep an eye on their workforce.

If cities remain empty, it will result is higher taxes, huge unemployment, empty pension pots and a reduction in national services.

I dread to think what is coming next down the line regarding the financial implications of Covid and Brexit. The country will be on its knees.

I work in London and hardly anything is open. Revival of an economy is great if shops pubs restaurants etc are open to take your custom.

Also not to be overlooked are the tech companies, Schroeders etc who are moving their whole global workforces to a complete work from home under the guise of safety, work life balance and virtue signalling green credentials.

Reality :
Dump pricey real estate (office buildings)
No more utility bills
No more insurance
Less people needing car allowance
Cancel catering contracts
Cleaners
Security
Grounds maintenance

It’s nothing to do with care for employees. It’s a mega soft cost reduction on the P&L

I can’t wait to go back into the office. I feel depressed and trapped at home, working at my computer with no face to face socialization is hellish. Every day is the same, I don’t meet anyone new, when I go to the store people are faceless, it’s all just a pile of hellish shit. I’m glad I have my kids to keep me going, I couldn’t imagine how hard it is for single people. This is a dystopian nightmare, I am truly shocked how many people enjoy working from home.

Userzzz It is new and it works well if you have children.

Companies provide skills, services or goods. Working from home means cities are empty, infrastructure and transport, car sales, commercial buildings, pensions, retail, the list goes on and on - are collapsing, giving rise to unemployment which leads to loss of clients and customers and loss of employment at the next level up and so on like a deck of cards. It isn’t as simple as saying support independent coffee shops in small towns. The economy isn’t surviving on people WFH and while not directly impacted right now, will be as the economy collapses around them. Somebody compared earlier to life reverting to the old days before migration to the cities. Comparing farming,, fishing, small shops and self sufficiency - which can work on a small level - is not the same as WFH unless self employed and customers are from the local area. Local businesses can’t compete against Amazon. Right now people WFH are cherry picking. As unemployment increases and taxes increase to cover the cost of Covid, the financial implications will affect everyone.

Economies and societies change. Businesses need to adapt rather than expect people to change their behaviour to artificially keep them open.