Finance Gurus Fight Back With Free Food, Ping‑Pong, and Chill Spaces
When the pandemic hit, brokers, CFOs and investors declared a hybrid era—half at home, half in the shiny glass towers. But the reality? Offices are turning into ghost towns. Workers are skipping desks, and their pockets now feel lighter thanks to soaring fuel, food and transport costs.
What Employers Are Doing to Keep the Sweatpants Out
- Complimentary meals – Brunch, lunch, who’s counting calories?
- Ping‑pong tables – A quick smash to break up Zoom monotony.
- “Contemplative spaces” – Quiet corners for a few minutes of zen amid the chaos.
- Work‑from‑office perks – Even a cheap coffee machine can mean the difference between a pajama‑day and a printed report.
Survey Surprise:
Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) executed a global survey of nearly 80,000 workers and found attendance short of policy expectations:
- Office required 2 days/week → Employees averaged 1.1 days
- Office required 3 days/week → Employees averaged 1.6 days
- Office required 3+ days/week → Employees averaged 2.1 days
Andrew Mawson, AWA managing director, notes: “After lockdown, people tried the office – and found nothing but Zoom. They fell out of the normalcy of working at home.”
The Cost‑Crunch Wasn’t the Only Thing
Senior managers—often the staunchest revolt against commuting—refuse to make the trek. “They hating little office hassles and consider commuting a needless grind,” says Kelly Beaver of Ipsos, who’s calling for more flexible models over a rigid two‑day rule.
But be careful: staying at home means missing casual water‑cooler chats and spontaneous brainstorming. In the end, everything boils down to balancing the expense of the commute with the desire for workplace camaraderie.
Bottom Line
Financial brains are trying everything: pizza parties, ping‑pong, quiet gardens, and a corporate spa ethos. Yet the numbers say the old “office” dream is still in limbo. The fight continues, and only those who can make the office feel truly worth the commute will win this new war on attendance.
Office as hotel
Remote Work: The New Buzz in Finance
Finance professionals are still figuring out how remote gigs could affect their climb up the ladder, but job‑hunters are increasingly zeroing in on the “remote‑first” sign‑post.
The Numbers Are Talking
Since early August, 80 % of users looking for finance roles on Flexa—an online job board that lets you filter by flexible working preferences—have chosen either remote or remote‑first. That’s a jump of 33 % since March, according to a Flexa spokesperson.
What Left‑Hand Workers Are Saying
Peter Hogg, who heads the city office at property consultant Arcadis London, says firms still have a domino effect on career paths.
“If a company is too bossy and tells people exactly where to sit,” Hogg explains, “it’s a gamble.”
Hogg also noted that Arcadis is busier than ever retrofitting office spaces—think indoor gardens, cosy libraries, and lounge corners with plush sofas—than it has been since the epidemic hit.
Office Overhaul: From Beds to Brooms
Peldon Rose’s strategy director, Leeson Medhurst, shares a sweet story from a British trading firm that’s turned its office into a mini‑hotel.
This place offers showers, nap pods, and laundry facilities for staff burning the midnight oil on deals. “We’re treating the office like a hotel,” Medhurst said—catering to employee comfort instead of just squeezing profits.
Cities and Banks are Shuffling
London’s financial hub has turned the City of London Corporation into a backstage for pop‑culture: theatre, live music and even fun games. They’ll be rolling out a “Destination City” programme to keep the area vibrant.
Steven Cooper, the CEO of British lender Aldermore, hinted that his bank is nudging staff back to the office, but not to the far‑old days. A concierge is even on the table to tackle day‑to‑day errands—dry cleaning, you name it—so employees don’t have to juggle it from home.
Who’s Fighting the Return?
Many suburban commuters are frowning at the idea of back‑to‑office days—especially those who spend long hours commuting. The Partnership for New York City’s Wylde piece notes that younger workers are the most likely to show up on the office floor.
Wylde sums it up nicely:
“Young folks understand that climbing the corporate ladder often hinges on face‑to‑face relationships.”
So while remote work is still a hot option, the game is shifting—too—toward environments that blend comfort with purpose.
‘Lonely home silos’
Big Banks Back to the Office: When Corporate Coworking Goes Back to the Big Picture
It’s a familiar office cliché that the best of the best will make a comeback. The biggest players on Wall Street—think gold‑mining hounds and traders with suits thicker than the American flag—have already declared a resumption of in‑person life. Let’s walk through who’s greening the green‑verb lawn yet shouting their new status on the intercom.
Goldman Sachs: Full‑Time, Firewall‑Free
- June last year, the firm told every employee to clock in full‑time—no more “marginal office methods.”
- Mask protocols, routine coronavirus testing, and the “vaccines only” hiring rule will all be put on the ice‑box by early September.
Morgan Stanley: Almost All Returned
- Like Goldman, no more “loose” office rules—employees will be expected to show up predominantly.
- They’ll also lift the COVID hygiene hoops in September, so forget the half‑hour nose‑to‑nose checks.
JPMorgan: Voluntary Masks + Freedom to Work Anywhere
- In March, the firm switched off mandatory masking in corporate buildings.
- Heads up: no more compulsory COVID tests for staff who weren’t fully vaccinated.
- The “vaccinated-only hires” policy? Dropped. Now even hands up for the herd‑immunity club are optional.
Citi: Hybrid Lifestyle Enthusiasts
- Citi’s approach is a middle ground—somewhere between “all‑in” and “remote all the way.”
- Employees can choose when to drop by; but strategic meetings still happen with the proper laser‑focus of a boardroom.
Jefferies: The “Not‑Lonely” Office Craze
Jamesome executives at Jefferies have been keen to keep people together, choosing “office hustle” over the dreaded “solo home silo.” Even with an ongoing hybrid model, they’re waving at new hires with a gentle “Come um… No, actual.” (See next.
Mixing Pot and Office Oil
Another bright spot:
Outlook: The “Power‑of-Presence” Curve
Chris Gardner, co‑CEO of London‑based property lender Atelier, signals that future layoffs may shift the mood. If wages further hiccup or energy costs climb, the office may become the true “perks” lounge, a working area that markets itself by swapping free muffins for sheer visibility. “It’s not just a snack run, it’s a status signal,” Gardner says, suggesting that a presence in the office may become a silent tender of ~importance.
“When the economy contracts, the real choice will be ‘where to show up.’ In the days ahead, you might see a fog‑filled office of visible person-tones instead of office because “I have networking opportunities.”
