The return to an office environment appears to be at a slower pace in Great Britain than elsewhere in Europe, with new research revealing that just 34 per cent of white-collar employees in the country have gone back to work, compared to 68 per cent of European workers.

Carried out by US bank Morgan Stanley’s research unit Alphawise, reported on by the Guardian, the study showed that Brits are continuing to work from home following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Boris Johnson has, however, told companies in England that, from August 1st, they are now able to decide when and how to bring staff back to the office, scrapping the previous guidance for avoiding public transport.

But many businesses have chosen not to follow this, with many citing uncertainty about asking members of staff to take public transport to the office and back. Other reasons given for not ending remote working before September at the earliest included the need for childcare during school summer holidays.

It was also found that 82 per cent of all those surveyed who have worked from during the coronavirus crisis would like to continue doing so, with the majority also keen to divide their time between home and the office, working remotely for one or two days a week.

Further research from PwC shows that nine out of ten CEOs in the UK see a permanent shift towards an increase in remote working, with the pandemic accelerating the adoption of digital working practices and delivering real changes to business models.

For help with office partitions in Manchester, get in touch with UK-GG today.