Data has suggested that the extra cash would entice London-based workers back to full-time office life.
Now that work from home guidance has been scrapped, employers are encouraging their staff to return to the office, in a bid to return to some normality.
However, employees are still reluctant to do so as various studies have indicated that they enjoy the work/life balance that remote working offers.
Now new data has emerged suggesting that London-based office workers want an average pay rise equivalent to the cost of some annual railway season tickets in order to get them to return to the workplace full-time.
According to a survey by workplace analytics firm Locatee, 43% of employees cited that the extra cash, which would equate to an average of £5,100, would entice them back into the office, reported Bloomberg.
The data revealed that only 17% of respondents would want to return to the office full-time now Covid restrictions have been lifted.
However, Thomas Kessler, chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of Locatee, shared that “businesses run the risk of losing talent if they don’t offer some flexibility”.
Those seeking new work opportunities also expect some level of flexibility, as one third of jobseekers now expect to work from home at least two days a week.
In contrast, Kessler added that employees may want to still feel part of a team and therefore may be more open to coming into a workplace setting.
He continued: “Employees, on the other hand, still want to feel part of a larger unit, surrounded (sometimes physically) by colleagues, and supported by the business.”
Employers offering total flexibility
Locatee’s survey found that 24% of companies want their staff back full-time now that restrictions have eased. However, many businesses have opted to offer total flexibility for their employees.
Twitter for example announced in 2020 that employees would be allowed to work from home forever, while Facebook also told staff that they could do the same.
Recently travel firm TUI also revealed that it would offer its staff “total flexibility” and would only ask them to come into the workplace once a month for team or collaboration events.