Duty calls as UK officials press for the return of office staff

That said, the rallying cry from the UK Government is explicit in its intent to restore as much normality as possible. Though short of ordering employees to return to their pre-pandemic workstations, the clear message is that it is incumbent to do so.

On Tuesday, skills minister Gillian Keegan took to the radio to discuss the “obligation” upon older workers to pass on their knowledge and skills to younger employees. While conceding that “businesses will decide” on future working arrangements, she pressed home the point that it is now “safe” to go back to the office.

“All of us can still remember all the people we learned from all of our career and that is important for young people as well,” she said.

UK skills minister Gillian Keegan said older workers have an 'obligation' to go back to the office and pass on their knowledge and skills

“We have that obligation to pass on our knowledge, our skills, our talents, to nurture people, to mentor people. That is still an important part and there is a limit to how much you can do that on screen.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak was singing off the same hymn sheet in an interview with LinkedIn News earlier this week as he recalled the beneficial relationships he developed when starting his career in finance.

“I doubt I would have had those strong relationships if I was doing my summer internship or my first bit of my career over Teams or Zoom,” he said. “That’s why I think for young people in particular, being able to physically be in an office is valuable.”

It is not the first time Mr Sunak has waxed lyrical about the office. In an interview in March, he claimed that staff may quit their jobs if they are forced to work from home in the future. And during the run-up to England’s “Freedom Day” on July 19, he was quoted as saying that it is “really important” for young people to be in the workplace learning directly from others.

Cynics have suggested that the Chancellor’s fervour is fuelled at least in part by his links to the investment community, where property holdings and rental income account for a significant proportion of financial returns. Perhaps, but there are other equally daunting repercussions of a permanent exodus of workers from city and town centres, as Mr Sunak is certainly aware.

Without work commuters, there are concerns for the future of city centres

One of the biggest concerns is what happens to those shops, restaurants and watering holes that service commuters. In Glasgow – one of the worst-affected cities in the UK by the loss of commuters – there are an estimated 30,000 workers who depend for trade on those travelling in and out each day.

Permanently restricted footfall puts these businesses in jeopardy with the risk of further job losses and the continuing downward spiral of the high streets.

It is here that governments have been accused by some of failing to lead by example. Asked earlier this week how many civil servants had returned to the Department for Education, Ms Keegan replied: “I would probably say 20-25% at the moment on any one day, obviously different people are coming in on different days.” According to reports, one flexible working model under consideration would see civil servants spending just 30 per cent of their time in their offices at Whitehall.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is said to be working on a plan to follow NHS Scotland by offering its 7,500 staff the option of hybrid working. Unlike Westminster, such a move would be more in keeping with the overall tone of statements coming out of Holyrood, but there would still be knock-on effects.

And what of those younger workers whose skills are of such concern to Mr Sunak and Ms Keegan? Well, they are not universally chomping at the bit to get back to their desks. Following the Chancellor’s comments earlier this week, some accused him of being regressive and out of touch.

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Reverting to a culture of presenteeism – or rewarding those willing to make the commute, rather than those best able to do the job – is clearly undesirable. Yet there is no denying that remote working is second-best when it comes to networking opportunities, collaboration and the “soft skills” that have become increasingly important in today’s employment market.

New research out today from digital coaching provider Ezra found that the most sought-after skill across the global workplace is communication, followed by emotional intelligence. Both of these qualities are developed and used at their best in face-to-face settings where humans innately pick up on an array of non-verbal cues that add depth and subtlety to the words being spoken.

While some may question whether lockdown has eroded these soft skills, others are betting on it: professional trainers are introducing a variety of programmes to assist those who fear their powers of face-to-face communication have gone rusty after 16-plus months of interacting entirely online.

Remote working has obvious environmental benefits and in many cases is a financial boost to the individuals involved, but it also runs counter to the fact that humans are social creatures. While working from home can improve work-life balance, for some it has also led to feelings of isolation, disconnection and a deterioration in mental health. With blurred boundaries between professional and private life, many report they are also struggling to switch off from work.

That said, surveys have repeatedly shown that most employees want to continue working from home at least part-time, making them resistant to bosses who fear that efficiency, productivity and creativity are suffering because staff are not in the office. Reaching an agreement on working arrangements that satisfies both sides will not be possible in every case, but employers that resort to diktat rather than negotiation will find themselves battling against a disgruntled workforce.

There are no straightforward answers, just as there is no going back to the pre-Covid world. We have proven that with the right technology there is less need to “go to work” to get the job done, yet for companies, employees and the wider economy much still depends on communal workplaces.