CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus: British workers lag behind Europeans in returning to the office

Andrew Ellson
, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
The Times
Diners take advantage of the floral setting, and possibly the government’s half-price restaurant discount scheme, at Élan just off Oxford Circus in London
Diners take advantage of the floral setting, and possibly the government’s half-price restaurant discount scheme, at Élan just off Oxford Circus in London
RAY TANG/XINHUA/ALAMY
Andrew Ellson
, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
The Times

British workers are proving much more reluctant to return to the office than their European counterparts, according to research published today.

Only about 34 per cent of Britons are back at their desks compared with roughly 75 per cent of Germans, Italians and Spanish. France has the best return rate of the major economies, with 83 per cent of office staff now back, the study by Morgan Stanley found.

In the UK nearly 50 per cent of office staff are still working five days a week from home, while 25 per cent have returned only part time.

The figures will be a concern to the government, which has been trying to encourage workers to return to offices, in part to help struggling city centre economies.