The city will collapse if workers don’t return to the office, warns an expert

The city’s infrastructure will “crumble” if workers don’t return to the office, a city commentator warned on Monday.

David Buik said staff had to return to their desks to “fire society on all cylinders”.

He made the comments when Boris Johnson was expected to abandon the guidance that tells people to “work from home if you can”.

However, ministers are not expected to launch a campaign to motivate employees and the decision is left to employers and employees.

Mr. Buik described the city as “like a morgue” and said the infrastructure will “crumble” if people don’t return to the office.

He told the Standard, “When all the sandwich shops close, it’s like a domino effect. All restaurants are closing, all bars are closing, the number of people is going out of work. Suddenly you see three million unemployed. “

He also told LBC, “Working from home works quite well three days a week or two days a week, but the fact remains that society’s infrastructure will collapse.”

However, he said he was pleased that some business leaders encouraged people to come back to the office.

Last week, Standard reported that Goldman Sachs identified offices, including its main office in London, as a “focal point”.

Richard Gnodde, International Head of the Bank, said: “We are developing in a creative industry that requires teams to work together. Young bankers learn the job by watching older bankers. “

The lack of a campaign to encourage people to return to the office will be a major disappointment for London business leaders, who see a mass return to office as critical to the capital’s recovery. However, the ministers see it as impossible to lay down “one size fits all” rules.

Meanwhile, officials will not be asked to return to their Whitehall desks this summer.

Some ministers have been annoyed privately about the fact that from September their officials will only work four days a month in the office, next year it will be eight days a month.