What are we going to do with all this spare office space?

6 min readSep 2, 2022

A few months ago — we got to see lots of businesses trying to tempt people back to the office. Some with different amazing perks. Some with simple mandates that lost them employees. And so with famous passive aggressive notes…

As demonstrated by the backward thinking and tradition loving MP Mr Rees-Mogg. Who attracted criticism earlier this year. (Some of it from me and past editions of this newsletter.) For leaving “passive-aggressive” notes on the desks of civil servants who didn’t go to work back in the office. As his note wonderfully quipped…

“Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon”

Imagine working for him! Or someone like him. No wonder the key factor in someone leaving. Is a bad boss. However, like most archaic aggressive moves. Done by the back to the office managers and toxic boss brigade. This tactic hasn’t worked with many employees.

Who noted that their productivity went up rather than down during the pandemic. With them saving time. Staying away from having to commute. And work in office cubicles. And be micromanaged by the likes of the MP.

Who is now. According to the the Telegraph. Planning to sell off £1.5 billion of property. In the next three years. Because offices in central London have been “under-utilised” over the last year.

Sell, sell, sell…. But do reinvest.

And he is not alone. In seeing this. As new data shows that:

“The average weekly office occupancy rate is around 28% in the UK.”

And only higher at 29% in London before the summer holidays . And this is the highest recorded over the past year. According to data sourced from entry systems at office buildings in major cities. And so this means that office occupancy remains at about half the average level seen. Before the pandemic.

And so a lot of businesses. Especially with the cry for UK workers for more money. To beat inflation and the cost of living crisis. Are looking to downsize or sell the office.

However, we have to remember that the savings made. By not having an office (or not using it as much) HAVE to be invested into employees. Not taken as profits. Or subsumed by different parts of your business. As I talked about in The Joyful Podcast out on Wednesday.

But when ARE people coming back to the offices?

It would seem we leave a world of TWTS.

That’s those coming back to the office for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. With the old fashioned hump day. A strange American term for Wednesday. Becoming a key day. As the new Wall Street Journal research this week. Has cited research that found that Wednesday is the most popular in-office day for U.S. workers.

But as they say:

“This finding is a bit perplexing and contrasts with some experts’ views that Wednesday is the best day to work from home. Perhaps the trend is being driven by workers who come into the office only one day per week — for them, “hump day” is a natural break point to work from the office.”

So people might be coming back to the office to split up their work week. And as predicted. Are using the office in a different way to what experts suggest is optimal for their bosses.

Of course these differences are different for each sector. And as Your FLOCK our team engagement platform — knows — it’s different for each type of team. With certain sectors liking working from home and remote working more than others. And different teams feel differently too.

This is backed up globally as the World Economic Forum reported on a new survey. That found that office attendance differs notably by sector.

Perhaps not surprisingly, banking tops the list in terms of the greatest portion of the workforce attending the office daily (47%.) Whereas the logistics and tech sectors seem to have most vigorously adopted remote work. With only 15% of the workforce clocking into the office each day. But one thing we all have in common apparently is that…

THURSDAY ARE THE NEW FRIDAY’s

Hurrah. And how do we know this? As office attendance has fallen to 13% on Fridays in the UK. According to Advanced Workplace Associates consultancy data. The popularity of Thursday evening socialising with colleagues. Has not gone unnoticed by the bosses of hospitality businesses. As reported in the Guardian:

“In terms of pattern in the cities, Mondays tend to be quieter, Fridays tend to be quieter, Thursday very strong.”

Phil Urban, the chief executive of the pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers

Whilst the FT’s Pilita Clark says the trend of workers spilling out into pubs and bars on Thursdays is intensifying post-pandemic.

Suggesting that Thursday is the new Friday. Or is this suggesting that people are taking Fridays off as well. And the 4 day workers movement is quietly happening. People aren’t quietly quitting. (Don’t get me started on this term — see past newletters) but they are reworking their contracts with work. Not formally. But by being gentle to themselves on Friday. Why not? If you can get all your work done Monday to Thursday — why not have Friday off.

The reports from those forward thinking businesses seem to say this is one of the ways forward. And with the fact that soon businesses might not be able to keep up with inflation on pay. Perhaps this is the way to do it. Not pay you more. But give you Friday for yourself?

I don’t know — I work Fridays….

Which is why this newsletter is written. However, at the end of the summer holidays. I am taking half a day today. To take my daughter horse riding and to have dinner in the park. Before the rains come… It is Manchester after all. And it is September.

Got a bit more time before you go back to work? This discussion between David Epstein and Daniel Coyle is worth setting 15 minutes aside to read with a notebook and a coffee.

Happy Fridays.

Oh and a couple of things to remember as well.

If you are a lawyer — and even if you are not — we would love you to come to YourFLOCK’s next event. Online. So everyone can come.

With a great guest speaker from Bidwell Henderson. More details here.

AND…

If you would like anymore information on how we can help you at Your FLOCK — our team engagement platform AND keep your teams together for longer (and help them be happier too) Then do comment below…