Demand for 'Grade A' offices could leave old stock stranded

DESPITE the best efforts of the RMT and Aslef rail unions to disrupt public transport, Londoners appear to be slowly but steadily returning to their offices.

- Rhiannon Curry

Recent data from Transport for London showed that Tube journeys are at about 80% of pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that most commuters are back to something approaching normal work patterns - although Mondays and Fridays are still noticeably quieter.

Even if people choose to work from home from time to time, the office is increasingly valued as a social space, particularly by younger workers, and the trend to offer premium perks and amenities to persuade them to come in more often is here to stay, said Simon Wingate, managing director at recruitment firm Reed.

"We've seen that the last couple of years have resulted in a change in office culture that has been mooted for some time," he said. "As an employer, the amenities that you have in your office and the environment that you're creating is increasingly important."