Afternoon:
14°c
There's a tumbleweed moment to accompany every Friday phone call these days. It rings and rings but nobody picks up. Every email is bounced back saying Jane or John is out of the office on Friday, returning Monday. It's clear workers all over London have taken the day off.
“There are far fewer people in the office on a Friday at the moment,” says Philip Sanderson, partner at top corporate law firm Travers Smith, based in the heart of the City. “It's partly that people are on holiday, but also that they're not chained to their desks, particularly if they remain within BlackBerry's embrace.”
He's right about the BlackBerry. In a recent survey of small and medium-sized businesses by Euroffice.co.uk, 41 per cent of respondents said mobile technology had made it easier to bunk off work without the boss noticing. And 21 per cent of those who admitted to bunking off said they would be doing it more this summer, because (despite the Met Office retracting its “barbecue summer” claims) the sun is still shining more this year than last.
“But,” says Sanderson, “it also reflects deal activity, flexible working and a growing number of people with enough time on their hands to
re-engage in the great work-life balance debate.”
According to the Confederation of British Industry, the recession has “dramatically altered the UK workplace landscape, as employers and staff work together to protect businesses and jobs by increasing flexible working”. Recent research by the CBI with recruitment experts Harvey Nash showed that 45 per cent of companies polled have increased flexible working among their staff to reduce hours and meet requests for a work-life balance. A further 24 per cent said they were considering or intending to make increases.
Incidentally, as I write this on a Friday afternoon, not only has almost every PR I have spoken to (those who answered) told me their boss is out of the office, but even my own colleague is logging off and heading home.
One London cabby who usually ferries commuters to-and-fro on a daily basis tells me he's seen a severe drop in Friday trade. “It's completely dead,” he says. “I even considered not bothering to get in the car myself this Friday.” Yet it's not as if everyone's on public transport instead. The Tube has never felt so airy and spacious during rush hour.
At the same time, Nico Gaillot, store operation manager at the worker's favourite coffee stop, Le Pain Quotidien, is reassured to hear that it's not just cafés that are quiet on Fridays. He says: “In the past three to four weeks, Fridays have been really slow, whereas last year we were doing well at the end of the week, and usually it's our busiest day.” House of Fraser, on the other hand, says it has noticed more shoppers coming through the doors on Fridays than Monday to Thursday. If they have time to shop, they can't be at work.
And oh yes, that reminds me. There's no point trying to call me in the office this Friday. I'm having the day off.
Reader views (8)
Keith is clearly a tool.
- Nick Wynn-Williams, London
Keith is obviously a man who lives to work, and in the process has enough time to comment three times on this particular article.
- David, London
"Working hard and working long hours are not the same thing. Frequently, the latter epitomises inefficient working."
And not working those hours suggests you are shirking when you should be working. The exceprtion doesn't prove the rule. You are simply wrong Alan
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Keith - perhaps you could have practiced your typing during this time.
Working hard and working long hours are not the same thing. Frequently, the latter epitomises inefficient working. Similarly, long hours do not actually indicate long working hours. One only has to look at a colleague's screen and see that they're monitoring cricket scores to know why they're in the office so long.
If the company you work for allows flexitime, why should Friday be so different from any other day of the week?
The recession has made people realise how dispensable they are. So why not take every benefit offered to you, while it’s still there?
- Alan, loughton, UK
No - must people like me have worked hard right through the recession, wgich is now coming to an end anywat.
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Keith: you may be jard-working, but you are also a bit dim. Check the unemployment rates in France, Germany and Spain and then say that all those who are not working in these countries are lazy. A quick internet search will give you the figures.
- Dectora, London UK
Don't be so ridiculous Keith, it epitomises that we're in the middle of a recession, not that everyone except you is born lazy.
- John, London
This trend epitomises the less than serious way which the English regard WORK. No wonder we have so many millions on the dole.
- Keith Price, Luton, England
