ExpenseOnDemand, a global expenses app, has published new data highlighting how businesses in different sectors are planning office returns in 2021. The majority of businesses across many sectors have stated offices will reopen this year with media (70 per cent), charities (89 per cent), housing associations (78 per cent) and manufacturing (89 per cent) leading the sectors mostly likely to return to ‘normal’ working life. Whereas the majority of tech (82 per cent) and finance (85 per cent) firms are aiming to keeping their offices closed at least until late 2021.
The data also illustrated how companies are planning to accommodate new working habits, as many expecting staff to work at least part time from home, with nearly half (47 per cent) aiming to reduce their head office size and 22 per cent opting to move to multiple regional offices rather than a main head office. These figures show the extent the pandemic has had on the future of the workplace as businesses are having to adapt to how their staff now want to work.
“This data really highlights that our working environments are set to change forever as many businesses who plan to reopen offices will allow staff to work from home for part of the week and many are looking to change their office locations and sizes,” comments Sunil Nigam, founder at ExpenseOnDemand. “For many large tech and finance firms’ decisions have already been made to allow staff to carry on working from home for the foreseeable future, meaning many cities are going to remain quieter even when the world is vaccinated. These trends are being mirrored by our users across the globe, as the international markets adapt in the same way as UK businesses.”
