The draw of air conditioning as temperatures rose across the UK wasn’t strong enough to bring people back to their offices, according to the latest figures from in-building technology company Essensys.
It found that office attendance dropped by 32% when temperatures hit their peak during July’s heatwave.
Regular train strikes added further woes for commute-weary workers, with the most recent rail strike on 18 August resulting in a drop in occupancy in the capital of 38%. This meant there were a third fewer people heading to the office than there were during July’s strikes. The June strikes had the biggest impact on occupancy, said Essensys, with a 60% drop.
Even when the trains are running, commuting is one of the biggest barriers to bringing people back to the office. Essensys report found that 28% of respondents find the time spent commuting a challenge, with almost one-quarter (24%) saying the cost was prohibitive.
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