'Wine Wednesdays' | Unusual ways to entice staff back to the office

A new survey has found that staff would rather go into the office on a Wednesday than a Thursday. And socialising is a big draw for those who work remotely and might only spend one day a week in the office.

The figures are part of the second Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index, a quarterly barometer combining anonymised and aggregated UK movement data from O2 Motion with national polling findings. The report reveals key movement trends relating to the behaviour of 2,000 British businesses and 1,000 consumers. Findings reveal employees prefer to start and end the week at home, with mid-week saved for collaborating and socialising with colleagues.

Nearly a third of those questioned acknowledged that when thinking about their commute, attending work socials (30%) and non-work socials after work (30%) have become more important to them compared to three months ago.

Jo Bertram, Managing Director of Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “With over half of commuters citing travel costs as a significant consideration, our Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index shows that Brits are looking to save by shifting their commuting choices and their number of office days. Companies appear to be supporting this change, as business leaders reported adopting more hybrid-focused working policies. This is a trend that’s likely to continue and encourage commuters to favour midweek office trips as Wednesday remains the most popular office day. Only time will tell if these are lasting trends, so businesses should keep listening to the needs of their employees.”