Brits prefer to work from home as Europeans return ‘au bureau’

Working from home is more popular in Britain than in continental Europe and North America, according to research from Google. Figures from the tech giant’s Mobility Report show that journeys to work were 22% lower last Thursday compared with before the pandemic. Thursday was chosen because it is traditionally the busiest day for commuting. The fall was marginally higher than in the US and Canada, where commutes were 20% lower. But it was a marked contrast to countries such as Spain and France, which were 9% lower; Germany and Japan at 7%; and Italy at 6%. Experts suggested that the enthusiasm for home working was spurred by a high proportion of British workers in service industries, the high cost of commuting and the relative ease of changing jobs to work for employers who were more tolerant of hybrid working. Freespace, which monitors office use at professional service companies, found that 83% of offices had reopened but only 29% of desks were occupied. The Times (£)