Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Hybrid workingLatest NewsFlexible working

Nine in 10 workers required to be in office more

by Jo Faragher 17 Feb 2025
by Jo Faragher 17 Feb 2025 Almost nine in 10 UK workers are commuting back into offices as employers increase attendance mandates
Shutterstock
Almost nine in 10 UK workers are commuting back into offices as employers increase attendance mandates
Shutterstock

Almost nine in 10 workers in the UK are now required to come into the office more days each week, according to data from Virgin Media O2.

Its latest business movers index shows that the most common compulsory office days are Mondays and Wednesdays, at 65% and 67% respectively. Just under half of employees are required to come in on Fridays, it revealed.

Three-quarters of companies required employees to attend in person three days a week during the final quarter of last year, up from 67% in the final quarter of 2023.

Over the same period, the proportion of companies requiring attendance four days a week rose from 46% to 50%.

Among those who opt to work remotely, 55% said this was down to having more flexibility, 55% said they saved money, and 35% appreciated being able to focus away from colleagues.

Return-to-office mandates

Advertising giant WPP demands return to office 

Amazon orders full-time office return 

Virgin Media O2’s index, based on insights from mobile data, reflects recent announcements from major employers around return-to-office mandates.

Staff at advertising giant WPP, for example, recently launched a petition ahead of the introduction of a four-day office return policy.

Investment bank JP Morgan has also mandated a full return to the office but ran into issues last week due to desk shortages.

Mónica Mercado Páez, head of AI and data at Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “As businesses have begun establishing office attendance policies, our anonymised and aggregated O2 mobile data reveals a mixed impact on commuting nationwide.

“Despite implementing these measures, the number of Brits commuting to major towns decreased by 7% in 2024 compared to 2023, indicating companies are still embracing hybrid and remote working options.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

HR opportunities in professional services on Personnel Today


Browse more HR opportunities in professional services

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
What does the TV show Severance tell us about work-life balance?
next post
Countess of Chester NHS chair resigns after damning tribunal findings

You may also like

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

Workers ‘wait and see’ as companies struggle to...

16 May 2025

Senior execs at BlackRock to work in office...

8 May 2025

Employers urged to do more to tackle loneliness

1 May 2025

Post-pandemic starters seek more pay for on-site working

10 Apr 2025

One in seven experience workplace abuse, finds major...

2 Apr 2025

Remote working isn’t bad – it just needs...

1 Apr 2025

Hybrid workers less sick and less stressed

28 Mar 2025

Dog owners more likely to want to work...

24 Mar 2025

Disabled workers disadvantaged by return-to-office mandates

13 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+