Workers arriving later and eating at their desk as one in three now back in the office

OFFICE occupancy crept up to 33pc on Thursday as people continued to trickle back to the workplace amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Entry sensors placed in office buildings around Britain and monitored by software platform Metrikus indicated that occupancy rose from 27pc at the start of the week.

That compares to just 15pc at the end of August and under 10pc during April, May and June.

Metrikus said its data showed that office workers were arriving to work later, likely to avoid the transport rushhour, and eating lunch in the office more frequently.

Ministers have been keen to get workers back into the office to stave off the collapse in trade for city centre businesses and transport operators. But the return has been slow amid social distancing requirements that mean fewer workers can fit into buildings and concern about the ongoing spread of the virus.

Major firms such as Standard Life Aberdeen and Natwest have told workers to stay home until 2021, while Barclays and HSBC have said many will not be expected back into Canary Wharf until October.

Metrikus, which drew from more than 41,000 daily data points, said meeting room occupation had risen, suggesting that time in the office was being used for face-to-face meetings rather than just working at desks.

Michael Grant, its chief operations officer, said: “The information we’re getting back from our sensors provides a huge amount of insight to employers keen to support their staff back into a pattern of work that delivers the best outcomes for productivity.”

Many companies are bringing people back on rotating shifts. JP Morgan last week doubled the number of investment bankers allowed to work from its Canary Wharf offices at any one time to 50pc.