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Survey Shows 40 Percent Of Companies Return To 5-Day Office Week

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted March 13, 2024

A survey by Virgin Media O2 shows 40 percent of UK companies have reinstated the traditional five-day office workweek.

The findings show a major shift back to pre-pandemic working norms.

The survey reveals 92 percent of firms have implemented some form of mandatory office attendance policy.

Wednesday has emerged as the most popular day for office presence, with roughly three-quarters of employees reporting to work midweek.

Anonymized data from O2 Motion also reveals the challenges employees’ face, like public transport delays exceeding an hour.

It’s primarily due to widespread industrial actions by train drivers and railway station staff throughout the year.

While most major UK cities saw increased commuter traffic in 2023, London stood out as an exception, experiencing a decline in commuter numbers.

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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 suggests Fridays in the office are making a comeback.

This year, several big firms, like Deutsche Bank and L’oreal, are changing their work-from-home policies to urge employees to show up on Fridays.

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