Work from home debate & #Covid19UK - I am so bemused as you why things have become so emotional/illogical

Under @beisgovuk guidance that offices must comply with 2m social distancing most offices have 30-50% of occupancy they had in February 2020

Hence 50-70% of office workers need to work at home each day until social distancing abolished by Government

This is not same 50-70% as good for mental health and collaboration for some office time albeit meetings at 2m social distancing challenged unless office has very large rooms

Hence City Centre sandwich shops/restaurants will have less customers until social distancing ends The shops will adjust to the change that is a reality until there is a vaccine

This should be an unemotional fact for journalists eg @CamillaTominey @DPJHodges @iainmartin1 or papers @DailyMailUK @Telegraph - not a matter on which you berate/criticise office workers KEY most countries trying to balance social distancing and return to normal & public

Transport key. What is also a fact is that many employers have seen that some working from home is successful and empowering for working families

Hence employers will change nature of offices in post Covid-19 world so mid 2021-2023

The change will mean less office space but within that space there will be more collaboration/networking and training facilities BUT many less desks

All #Covid19UK has done us brought the Microsoft Teams revolution forward 5 years Why? Because Executives have seen WFH works and presentism thing of the past

But the WFH pilot/prototype we are living through also shows what is hard WFH eg training more junior colleagues/coffee machine informal chats etc

Hence I expect few to have no office time long term but also very few to have 100% most will be 2-6 a fortnight BUT with all days equally busy in the office and days in the office being longer as evening social tagged on

This digital transformation is no different from when Ford invented the car - it is progress!! it does not mean the office dies the office changes BUT

It does means property will change. Many more multi tenanted Grade A property as companies sublet/leases expire PLUS Grade B/C space converted to residential @antonyslumbers @bruce_dear

This could solve the lack of housing supply as currently most homes are only occupied at weekends and the evening Converting office space to residential could signal rebirth of towns/cities based around people living there not commuting - restaurants and bars busy at weekends

WFH evolution/revolution means it is possible to live anywhere (if only in office 2 days a fortnight and expenses paid from home) so places like Cornwall have chance to prosper even though no major conurbation nearby (Bristol is not close!!!)

Change will slow - some will relocate now from cities for better family life (garden/clean air) but key is that others won’t be forced to relocate from home to succeed Hence places highlighted by @J_Bloodworth in Hired may be reborn or others will not decline like say Blackpool

The change does make you wonder if HS2 will look when it opens as right idea 20-30 years too late AND Government should have invested in better broadband instead OR HS2 is needed for > long distance travel but local commuter demand will reduce materially Either way demand falls

WFH may cause societal issues as it allows keyboard warriors etc to have views not effected by discourse with other individuals BUT the challenge was already there see Trump America etc AND fact that in 5 years time kids leaving school will not have known world without iPhone

In fact the change based on technological experience is happening now as someone born in 2002 was only 5 in 2007 when iPhone appeared - how such people who start work now or go to Uni have always interacted bears no relation to someone nearing 30 now let alone 40 or 50 year old

Hence the evolution/revolution around WFH which is occurring cannot be stopped and must be embraced as a digital revolution in same way that the motor car changed the world for the better. video technology is potentially great for CO2 emissions as no commute/< global travel

There will be winners and losers but the market will sort this out as it always does AND unless you believe in Communism or want to be a protectionist/Luddite it is vital that Government lets economic forces/success ensure we reach the right balance between WFH and office work

Journalists/politicians cannot stop this long term change away from 5 days of commuting/presentism - if on other hand they are really worrying about the short term #Covid19UK situation rather than long term change there are 2 things to do

1) Encourage all employers to make premises #Covid19UK secure - as a minimum this means 30% can return each day Employees will only return if premises safety and public transport to office safe WFH means people cannot be bullied into what they see as a dangerous environment

2) Campaign for compulsory face covers in the office with less social distancing which would increase capacity BUT if journalists/MPs don’t like face covers time to stay quiet and let market forces sort