• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday December 10 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

South West bosses want employees back in the office – Grant Thornton

The majority of South West bosses want employees back in the office, according to a new survey by business and financial adviser Grant Thornton.

The firm’s Business Outlook Tracker, which surveyed 603 UK businesses in October, found that 86 per cent of businesses are already mandating time in the office for employees. Of these, around one quarter require two (26 per cent) or three days (25 per cent) a week in the office, while 29 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent) of these confirmed that they plan to do so in the future. The majority anticipate mandating three days a week (32 per cent), followed by one day (30 per cent) 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 per cent) who are mandating time in the office already have monitoring in place, over half (58 per cent) of those who don’t plan to introduce it moving forward.

Lauren Carlyle, practice leader for Grant Thornton in the South West, said: “Our research shows businesses are moving away from predominantly remote working patterns, with most planning to increase office attendance in the near term. While hybrid working still has its place, companies are beginning to value face-to-face collaboration more.

“Many of the South West’s key industries, such as agriculture, tourism, and hospitality, rely heavily on personal connections.

“While such sectors may already be ahead of the curve when it comes to requiring employees to be physically onsite – with it being hard to run farms and hotels remotely – this shift to more office time and in-person working could help boost key parts of the local economy like our growing tech and financial hubs.

“In addition, this move could also further support the collaborative spirit that drives person-centric industries like hospitality and agriculture.”

Pictured: Grant Thornton’s office at 2 Glass Wharf, Bristol