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If Employers Want Us Back in the Office, They Need to Pay Up
Despite the pandemic sparking a work-from-home revolution, employees could be forced to return to physical offices in the next two years. According to analysis shared by UK-based think tank Centre for Cities, employers are ‘hopeful’ that staff will return to the office as soon as possible. Businesses reason that this would allow for the return of unscheduled interactions that are, apparently, the key to creativity.
The property industry jumped on the news and added that demand for office space is already on the rise again. It’s important to note that think tanks that aim to boost the economies of large cities — often to the detriment of rural areas — will push for office-based staff. After all, if busy worker bees aren’t in city-center offices, who will prop up the Pret corporation? The sandwich chain has had to start delivering to drive profits these days.
But what about employees who have discovered that they can have a healthy work-life balance from home? What about employees who have saved significant sums of money and regained valuable hours by eliminating the commute from their daily lives? Who is going to compensate us for our precious time lost in commuting? And who is going to pay us for the extortionate travel…