London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 30, 2026

Nearly ALL of Britain's biggest 50 firms plan flexible work-from-home model

The companies plan on using a "hybrid" model of work, allowing staff to work from home two or three days a week post-pandemic.


Britain's biggest 50 firms are planning some time of hybrid working system post-pandemic

Working from home some days a week will become the norm for many Brits


A staggering 43 per cent of the country's biggest firms are on board with the hybrid working schedule, according to a survey.

And just four employers are still deciding whether the mixture of working from home and office working will be beneficial for them.

Advertising company WPP's chief executive Mark Read told BBC News "We're never going to go back to working the way we used to work," with staff in the office just one or two days a week.

Insurance firm Aviva said 95 per cent of its 16,000-strong work force want to be flexible and have the option to work from home.

Meanwhile, JP Morgan has had some staff back in the office and Investor Rathbones is operating at 25 per cent capacity with staff allowed to come back "if they wish."

And as we get closer to June 21 when all social distancing is set to end, more staff may be able to work in offices as capacity increases.

But with long and sometimes expensive commutes, some thousands of Brits may benefit from the flexible working patterns - despite social distancing rules ending in offices.

Outsourcing giant Capita said workers have been told they will work from home until at least the end of June, while Lloyds Bank has asked staff to stay at home until at least the summer.

Accounting firm KPMG is among the companies allowing workers to be flexible


At accounting firm KPMG, staff have been told they will work up to four days in a fortnight in the office starting next month, as the company trials the hybrid working system.

A spokesperson for Google said that starting in September, the company will also transition to a "hybrid model" with a majority of employees required in the office for at least three days per week.

As it stands, the Government's message is still "work from home if you can," in a bid to keep Covid levels at bay.

Some studies have claimed productivity is reduced if workers log in from home rather than the office - but many employers are still opting for hybrid models.

The “work from home” message was brought in at the start of the first lockdown last March.

That changed though during the summer as Covid cases eased and employees were urged to return to their offices in a bid to get Britain working again, despite objections from Labour MPs and trade unions.

When Johnson announced the third national lockdown at the start of this year he said people should go to work only if they “absolutely” could not work from home.

Last summer, ONS figures said that nearly half of working adults in the UK were working remotely - compared to five per cent before the pandemic.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.7% as Growth Stalls and Inflation Eases
UK Government Announces Electricity VAT Cut and £2 Bus Fare Cap
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
UK Unsecured Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level Since 2009
UK Energy Price Cap to Rise 4% to Three-Year High of £1,723
More Than 30 Britons Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal-Tibet Floods
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
Police Intensify Investigation Into Organised Crime-Linked Violence in Middlesbrough
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Revenue and Tax Pressures, Federation Says
M&G Real Estate Buys West Sussex Affordable Housing Portfolio for £29 Million
Royal Navy Warship HMS Tamar Visits Cambodia for Regional Security Engagement
UK Government Brings Forward Benefit Payments Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Four Men Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Community Ambulances in North London
Ofgem Raises Great Britain’s Household Energy Price Cap by Four Percent From October
UK Government Rejects Green Party Call for Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Moratorium
Millions of UK Benefit Recipients Receive Payments Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
UK Prime Minister Meets Northern Ireland Leaders in Belfast Over Budget Crisis
Crypto Tax Gains Reach One Point Three Eight Billion Pounds Among UK Investors, HMRC Data Shows
×