Coronavirus: to revive its economy, the United Kingdom no longer wants teleworking

Brits march through Oxford Circus, London, July 24, 2020. Simon Dawson / Reuters

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UK is launching new campaign to encourage people to return to office. The government is concerned about the impact of teleworking on the economy of city centers, as the coronavirus pandemic has plunged the country into an unprecedented recession and claimed the lives of more than 41,500 people.

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With our correspondent in London, Maxence Peigné

Teleworking has had its day, according to the British government. Grant Shapps, the Minister of Transport, criticized its limits and urged employees to return to the office "  safely  ". We are a long way from the slogan “  Stay at home to save lives  ” hammered out last March. But since then, the UK has plunged into its worst recession on record, and layoff plans follow and look the same every week.

► See also: Coronavirus: the Bank of England forecasts a slow recovery of the economy

Many companies continue to advocate teleworking

The latest blow to date: the layoff plan for the Prêt À Manger coffee chain, which will cut 2,800 out of 8,000 jobs, following the drop in sales in business districts. It must be said that in cities across the country, only 17% of employees had returned to their workplace in early August, according to a study. A worrying figure for the government, which believes that teleworking also makes it more vulnerable to dismissal.

Yet nine in ten Britons want to be able to split their time between home and office, and many companies still invite them to stay at home. The latest figures from the coronavirus pandemic show more than 333,000 infections and more than 41,500 deaths in the UK.

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  • United Kingdom
  • Coronavirus
  • Economic crisis
  • Employment and Work

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