Two in five companies are returning to a five-days-in-the-office workweek, according to new data from Virgin Media O2, in the latest sign that Friday office working is on its way back.
The Telecoms giant’s ‘Movers Index’ found that 40% of firms now require five-day-a-week office work. Meanwhile, 92% of companies had some kind of mandatory in-office policy.
Wednesday remains the top day for office work, with about three quarters of office workers coming in for the midweek.
However, anonymised movement data from O2 Motion showed that the majority of workers had faced public transport delays of more than an hour, in a year marked by high levels of industrial action from train drivers and railway station workers.
But while most major UK cities saw a growth in commuters during 2023, London was a rare exception, with commuter numbers falling.
Jo Bertram, Managing Director of Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “2023 was marked by pressures from the cost-of-living crisis and inflation, but Brits and businesses adapted, setting trends that are likely to continue in 2024.
“Our full-year Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index shows that people defied delays to return to the office in droves, as people rediscovered the benefits of their workplaces and businesses set office day policies.
“Brits found ways to prioritise their spending and public transport presented a way to get on the move at a lower cost, allowing them to spend more supporting local businesses when they needed it most.”
The data is the latest sign that Friday office working is making a return. This year has already seen a number of major firms, including Deutsche Bank and L’oreal, change their work-from-home policies in order to encourage more staff to come into the office on Fridays.
