A push for employees to return to the office is reportedly driven by concerns over plummeting city centre economies, rather than productivity. Despite the widespread belief that working from home decreases productivity, studies have shown that productivity has actually increased by 13% during the pandemic. Yet, city centres are suffering due to the lack of office workers spending on lunch, coffee, and after-work drinks.
The experiment of working from home has been largely successful for many businesses, with employees enjoying the flexibility and lack of commute. However, it has had disastrous consequences for city economies. In Australia, the central business district of Melbourne has been particularly hard hit, with foot traffic down 89% compared to pre-pandemic levels. In Sydney, the drop is 72%.
In response, business leaders and politicians are pushing for a return to the office, despite the success of remote working. This is largely to revive struggling city centres, not because of a drop in productivity. This push has been met with resistance from employees, many of whom prefer the flexibility of working from home.
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