Guest blog: Should people be made to return to the office again soon? By Dr Stefanie Reissner, Newcastle University & Dr Michal Izak, Roehampton University

According to recent news reports, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, has campaigned for civil servants returning swiftly to the office. As reported by The Guardian, among other news outlets, he has inspected offices in Whitehall to identify which workplaces were not used regularly, leaving written notes on empty desks with the words “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon”.  

Although these notes have been criticised as ‘condescending’ by Union representatives, other politicians have backed this move. For example, Oliver Dowden CBE, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party, claimed that “if we really want to best serve the people of Britain, one of the things we need to do is have that collaboration that comes from working in the office”, concluding that “Jacob’s efforts are driven by getting the best value for taxpayers.” 

Despite not being official government guidance, the message that working from the office is ‘best’ not only comes from the top echelons of the ruling political party, but specifically from the Minister responsible for Government efficiency. In the light of findings from recent research, we are concerned about the following two assumptions that underpin this message. 

(1) Working in the office is more effective than working remotely.
‘Effectiveness’ depends on various factors, including the nature of the task, the workspace, and employees’ preferences and needs. The amount of time spent ‘ineffectively’ in the office can be considerably higher than when staff work remotely. According to a study by Parry et al. published in The Conversation in the aftermath of the national Covid-19 lockdown in 2021, 9 out of 10 people maintained or increased their productivity when working from home. Another study (Owl Labs, 2021) found that, on average, those working from home were 67% more productive compared to working in the office. Equating physical presence in the office with efficiency and productivity is therefore both simplistic and risky. 

(2) The smaller the distance between employees, the higher the likelihood of collaboration.
Scholarly evidence is strongly context dependent here. According to a 2018 study by Keable et al. (2018), crowded office spaces may impede, rather than foster, collaboration. Similarly, Bernstein and Turban found that open-plan offices may decrease levels of collaboration, irrespective of employees’ personal preferences relation to their workspace. Of course, many employees scolded in Whitehall may have their own, private office, but these workspaces may be used to keep apart rather than to collaborate. In short, although collaboration may increase when people are co-present in the office, such an outcome is neither certain nor automatic. 

Therefore, in the light of these findings, it is questionable if the best value for British taxpayers will indeed come from Whitehall staff returning swiftly to the office as there is myriad of factors at play. Decision-makers would do well to take this into account when campaigning for a swift return to the office. 

Bibliography: 

Bernstein E.S. and Turban S. (2018) ‘The impact of the ‘open’ workspace on human collaboration’, Philosophical Transactions Royal Society B 373, pp. 1-8. 

Keable, E.B., Mcgregor, L. and Manley, A. (2018) ‘How Dense Is Too Dense?’, Workdesign magazine. Available at: https://www.workdesign.com/2018/01/how-dense-is-too-dense/. 

Owl Labs (2021) ‘State of Remote Work’, available at:  https://resources.owllabs.com/hubfs/SORW/SORW_2021/owl-labs_state-of-remote-work-2021_report-final.pdf?utm_campaign=State%20of%20Remote%20Work%202021&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=180908804&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_QqLl-7bQetJbJYOdCoskUzSr2pErrPvrTL353dUDu9e3aetTHyMlktMDf-N_opd0g0eg2lZzzzMM4MFaCkoOPa9Edt73hZO7QXJGYUaOVMIId_nk&utm_content=180908804&utm_source=hs_automation 

Parry, J., Young, Z., Bevan, S., Veliziotis, M., Baruch, Y., Beigi, M., Bajorek, Z., Salter, E. and Tochia, C. (2021) ‘Working from Home under COVID-19 lockdown: Transitions and tensions, Work after Lockdown’ (Report) 

The Guardian (23.04.2022) ‘‘Condescending’: Jacob Rees-Mogg leaves notes for WFH civil servants’https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/23/condescending-jacob-rees-mogg-leaves-notes-for-wfh-civil-servants