(Source: Financial Times)
Workers were only slowly returning to offices around England on Monday after the government relaxed its guidance about working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. In the centre of London footfall was only 2 per cent higher on Monday compared with last week, according to data collected by the New West End Company, reflecting how the number of office workers and visitors remained subdued.
Footfall was 68 per cent lower compared with this time last year. Boris Johnson last month announced a relaxation of the official guidance put in place at the start of the Covid-19 crisis that many people should work from home if possible, with the change taking effect on Monday.
The prime minister has encouraged employers to bring staff back to their offices, partly because they are seen as crucial to helping struggling hospitality businesses and other services companies in city centres and town high streets. But many companies have warned that they will only gradually return employees to their workplaces in the autumn.
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