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Although work-from-home regulations in London have become less stringent than before, many city residents still choose to work from home rather than go to the office. Currently, the mandatory work-from-home order, as announced last year – "People must work from home unless they cannot" – has been replaced by a much more lenient recommendation: "Work from home if you can." This has led some banks and brokerage firms to relax their regulations, allowing employees to come to work if they wish.
Nevertheless, the city's atmosphere remains extremely gloomy. According to data provided by Transport for London, the number of people traveling on the roads during the morning rush hour has decreased by almost 20% compared to the previous week, and is about 46% less than before the pandemic.
Harry, an employee at Bank of America, said his office was much quieter than usual on December 13th. Instead of dozens of people coming to work the previous Monday, there were only four, and all employees had to decide whether they wanted to work from home or in the office.
Paul Chapman, CEO of insurance brokerage firm Tysers, shared that his company was desperate about the situation but could do nothing about it. He also noted that London's streets and train stations are currently deserted, with very few people around.
At Canary Wharf – a major financial district in Tower Hamlets – most lunch stalls reported a significant drop in revenue recently, with some saying they earned only about 20% of their usual earnings on December 13th. Catarina Ferreira, an employee at Rudie's Jerk Shack, said: “Normally before 1 pm we make around £500, but today it was only £98. It’s the worst day in the last three months.”
Many streets in London are deserted. - Photo: AP/Alberto Pezzali
Many residents expressed their disapproval of the city officials' advice, arguing that giving advice without practical assistance was pointless.
Previously, many small businesses such as bakeries and restaurants had struggled due to the loss of a large number of employees during the pandemic.
