The post-festive return to work in the dark days of January is never easy, but this new year is shaping up to be tougher than usual for UK workers. Not only must they brave days of severe cold and ice, but many face the end of post-pandemic hybrid working.
A range of big employers are hauling their teams back to the office, with Amazon issuing the strictest mandate, demanding staff attend in person five days a week.
Such orders are provoking fresh battles between employees and their bosses, who believe staff need to be brought together to foster collaboration, creativity and a sense of belonging.
While the luxury of being able to work remotely is not possible for all jobs, it has increasingly become viewed as a right in the almost five years since Covid lockdowns forced staff to carry out their roles from their dining tables, spare bedrooms or sheds at the bottom of the garden, with many arguing they are just as productive at home.
Commuting isn’t cheap - it costs most of us over £100 a week. Offices are rarely, if ever, catered, so be prepared to spend for lunch (or spend your free time prepping lunch,or paying extra for portable food).
Know what no-one factors in, the price of lost sleep for that commute, over the years you’re paying a real premium in medical care as conditions develop.
Bring back genuine office perks (catering, refreshments, a culture of clocking out when done, banning open plan offices, on/near-site child care, flexibility for school runs, near-site medical/dental visits, exercise facilities open before and after hours) and offset the financial stresses by paying a reasonable wage, and you might see folks being less adverse towards RTO.