Freezing weather sends some British workers back to the office

LONDON –

Freezing temperatures across Britain

in recent days have forced one in five professionals to head back to the office, often to save money on heating. 

A survey of 1,700 British workers by the independent job board CV-Library found that 20.5 per cent of the respondents decided to return to office instead of working from home due to extreme wintry conditions.

Almost three in five of the respondents who felt compelled to go to the office did so in order to save on household heating and electricity bills. The remaining 44 per cent said they were seeking social interactions after being isolated due to the cold snap.

“These results reflect not only the impact the weather has on the British workforce, but how the cost-of-living crisis and mental health have also become key factors within modern working practices,” said founder and chief executive of CV-Library Lee Biggins.

While just over half of all the workers surveyed have not altered their working patterns due to the weather, some who chose not to return to workplace, even if they wanted to, cited concerns about unreliable public transport, unsafe driving conditions and high petrol costs.

The impact of weather on Britain’s economy is a serious topic, Mr Biggins said.

“The knock-on impacts of severe weather aren’t just limited to reduced consumer spending and supply and distribution issues.” BLOOMBERG