Part 1: Return to the Office Series - Predicting the Return to the Office

GLOBAL AMERICAS APAC EMEA

WHAT’S THE CURRENT PLAN? The beginning of September has generally been cited as a date when people are being encouraged to return to working in the corporate office. Some European businesses have pushed back suggested return dates to October, however, and others to January 2022. In line with the U.S., many financial institutions are strongly encouraging return to in-person, face-to-face working from the beginning of September. A poll of more than 1,000 managers by the Chartered Management Institute in the UK found that while 80% of people were working from home in July, at least ‘some’ would be asked to return to the workplace in September. Asset managers, law firms and insurers are expecting people to be in the office for two or three days each week from the beginning of September or at some point in Q4. Currently, businesses in Europe are not mandating vaccinations. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)—specifically Article 8, which protects the right to private life 19 —has been cited as a reason businesses are hesitant to require vaccinations. Article 8 is also giving employees confidence to push back on any mandates. However, the UK, France and Greece did recently mandate vaccinations for frontline healthcare workers. 20 While vaccinations remain voluntary, unvaccinated populations continue to navigate restrictions and requirements like showing a negative COVID-19 test result from the past 24 hours. In France, people can only enter cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theaters and museums with a health pass. Germany is following a similar policy by eliminating free COVID-19 tests—and thereby making access to tests a greater burden—while at the same time requiring unvaccinated people to show negative tests to access indoor spaces and events.

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