How London measures up in a changing global landscape of work

While hybrid working is permanently cemented in the infrastructure of work today, there is a general tilt towards the office across major global cities according to data collected by Centre for Cities.

The research, entitled ‘Return to the office: how London compares to other global cities, and why this matters’, highlights that the average full-time worker in central London spent 2.7 days per week in the office in June 2024 – an increase from the 2.2 days recorded in April 2023.

Despite this shift, London still trails behind global counterparts including Paris, New York, Sydney and Singapore. Workers in Paris spend the most time in the office averaging 3.5 days per week in the city, while office workers in Singapore spend 3.2 days, New Yorkers spend 3.1 days and employees in Sydney are averaging 2.8 days.

Value of in-person interaction

The survey, conducted in collaboration with Savanta and Focaldata, suggests that only seven per cent of London’s knowledge workers were not mandated to be in the office at all by June 2024, which is a significant drop from 25 per cent in April 2023. This finding suggests that more companies are recognising the value of physical presence at work and adjusting their policies accordingly.

Despite the rise in mandates, London is still mandating fewer days than its global peers. The average London employer with a mandate requires employees to be in the office 3.1 days a week, compared to Sydney where the average mandate is four days.

It is the youngest workers in London, aged between 18-24, that are leading the charge in the return to office. This group spends more time in the office in an average week than any other age group and bucks the trend in other cities. Two in five employees in this demographic believe they perform best when working from the office, the highest percentage across all age groups surveyed.

Learnings from London

The report argues that London’s lag to return to the office may have detrimental consequences for businesses and the wider economy. The comparative lack of in-person interaction in London may stifle learning and growth opportunities for younger employees and on a larger scale, this could impact London’s productivity growth and ‘erode its competitiveness on the global stage’.

The research urges government and businesses to align to set London’s return to the office on the same trajectory as other global cities. There are three key areas of focus according to the report:

Gather evidence: the impact of post-pandemic working patterns on productivity, innovation and skill development is poorly understood. Firms need to collect more data on the impact of hybrid working in these areas.

Cutting costs: travel costs are more of a barrier to office working in London than any other city. Introducing incentives to return to office may include cost savings in other areas, for example subsidised amenities.

Changing attitudes to office working: these have shifted in the past year – government and corporate companies have the power to shift them again. Business leaders can lead by example, setting higher expectations to come into the office.