London firms are letting more staff work entirely from home

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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London’s employers are letting more staff work entirely from home, according to a prominent recruitment firm, with workers keen to earn the premium paid by jobs in the capital without enduring its high living costs.

The proportion of white-collar jobs at companies in London that are entirely remote has risen from 18% to 22%, a survey by Hays Plc found. That puts London equal with the east of England as the regions where fully remote working is most common.

Firms in the capital are having to fill specialist roles in the tech and compliance sectors, Hays said, which typically come with a smaller pool of candidates. Some job-seekers are reluctant to live in London, where even outer-borough rent prices have soared by double digits.

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“If employers can’t fill a position with their usual hybrid framework – over time they will consider remote contracts,” said Lorraine Twist, a finance director at Hays. “This is obviously attractive for candidates as they can enjoy a London salary without the commute and high property prices.”

Hays surveyed close to 12,000 staff and employers between Feb. 26 and March 18.

Flexibility

Companies and staff are still grappling to find a balance between in-person and remote work after the Covid pandemic drastically changed habits. The Labour party, which is far ahead in the polls and expected to win a general election later this year, has pledged to make flexible working a right for all employees from their first day in a job.

Separate figures from Reed Recruitment last week showed that job adverts across England are offering less part-time and remote work.

Still, Hays’ findings suggest that parts of Britain’s labor market remain tight, with firms competing for talent even as unemployment starts to pick up. The Bank of England is keeping a close eye on hiring trends and pay growth for signs of lingering inflation.

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The proportion of London staff working entirely in the office dropped to 25% from 28%, while hybrid jobs fell one point to 53%, the survey said. Office landlords in the city have already been hit by a mix of flexible working, weak economic conditions and aging buildings.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow