Return to work: Midweek-only office workers gain a new moniker
Last Thursday was the busiest day for Farringdon, Canary Wharf, Bank and Monument stations since the pandemic began, as London’s commuters adjust to a new world of hybrid working
Almost a hundred thousand people travelled through Bank and Monument stations.
And since City workers were encouraged “back to school” from the beginning of September, footfall has swelled much higher on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays than the tail ends of the working week.
Tuesday ‘taps’ in and out of the transport network in Canada are around 20 per cent higher than on a Monday.
And commuter numbers are around 35 per cent higher on a Thursday than the start of the week.
The trend for midweek commuting has seen those working from home on Mondays and Fridays dubbed “twats” at one investment bank, according to City insiders.
Damian McChrystal, who runs the City Bar and Kitchen on Stoney Lane, said the middle of the week had picked up significantly as Square Mile workers came back to their offices.
“We used to say Thursday was the new Friday, but now Thursday is just the busiest day,” he told City PM. last night.
And as workers line their stomachs for post-work pints, Pret boss Pano Christou noticed a similar trend in the City’s sandwich and coffee consumption.
“All days are growing but there is a marked difference on those three days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)” Christou said.
“It is quieter on Mondays and Fridays,” he told City PM last week.
Most City institutions are asking staff to return to the office at least two or three days a week, though some are going further.
VSA Capital boss Andrew Monk said recently that City businesses in particular needed people back at their desks more often.
“It varies from industry to industry, but in financial services it’s more important to be in the office because it’s a very live industry,” he told the BBC.
London minister Paul Scully told City PM yesterday that he thought it “unlikely” government would reintroduce work-from-home orders this winter, amid growing confidence that Covid-19 can be contained in other ways.