New research from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that business leaders plan to increase both the number of days employees are required to be in the office, and their monitoring of this, in the next 12-24 months.
The firm’s Business Outlook Tracker*, which surveyed 603 UK businesses in October, found that 86% of businesses are already mandating time in the office for employees. Of these, around one quarter require two (26%) or three days (25%) a week in the office, while 29% are mandating five days a week.
Of the businesses (367) who currently require their employees to come into the office four days a week or less, 83% expect to increase the number of days employees are in the office in the next couple of years.
While some businesses are not currently mandating any time in the office, almost two thirds (59%) of these confirmed that they plan to do so in the future. The majority anticipate mandating three days a week (32%), followed by one day (30%) a week in the office.
The research also finds that businesses’ monitoring of their employees’ compliance with these requirements is set to rise. While most of the businesses surveyed (88%) who are mandating time in the office already have monitoring in place, over half (58%) of those who don’t plan to introduce it moving forward.
Alistair Wardell, partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP and head of its restructuring team in the South of England and Wales, said:
“While hybrid working has evolved following the pandemic, our research indicates businesses are planning to increase the amount of attendance in the office that they ask of employees. This shift reflects a growing recognition among business leaders of the value of in-person collaboration.
“Wales’ economy is experiencing some significant transformations right now, particularly in sectors such as Business Support Services, Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT), and Healthcare, while private equity activity remains strong and there are many corporate acquirers eager to expand here. As these industries and opportunities continue to evolve, increased face-to-face interaction could help drive innovation and productivity across the nation’s economic landscape.”
