Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Gups]

Saw in the FT that office occupancy has halved compared to pre-pandemic levels - which seems incredible. But it makes sense given the shift to WFH and certainly in my industry 2-3 days at home is the norm now.

It mentions that there are practical and technical challenges with this - but I hope someone's looking at whether they can be converted into housing as it might be a bit easier in already existing buildings.

Maybe old office buildings will end up being converted look cool industrial/warehouse spaces and the next Shad Thames is a business park?

We're looking at a possible office move in the City for the end of next year. Demand for high quality (CAT A) space is still high and rents have not reduced. 

[Sheilbh]

Interesting - wonder if Larch is right and the downtown offices will all be fine or turned into co-working/swing spaces, but the old business park model just doesn't work if there's not people driving in every day?

[Josquius]

The problem with the move to hybrid work is that office-space has traditionally purely been seen as an issue of space but its more accurately seen as an issue of time and space.
If every company keeps the offices they used to have but they're only there 2 days a week then this is a problem and it makes business districts rather like hollow shells- as offices have been every time I've gone into one since covid.

Even pre-covid there were steps to move away from the old fashioned system of assigned desks and towards hot desking with fewer desks than you have employees, but this had its big problems too, and of course is limited to within individual companies.

Another problem that comes with a hybrid approach I've found is there's zero point in being in the office if everyone isn't in the office. Just going to sit at my desk is useless. I need other people around me in a pre-covid like situation to get value... but then it becomes a complex game of planning right who has what days, which can be very inflexible and won't work out perfectly.

There's a huge gap out there to solve this time-space office problem.

Interesting - wonder if Larch is right and the downtown offices will all be fine or turned into co-working/swing spaces, but the old business park model just doesn't work if there's not people driving in every day?

The business park model is dead for sure.
Even pre-covid things were trending against it but covid has solidly put the nail in the coffin.

[Tamas]

I think the sensible approach for any hybrid model would be to arrange important sessions (lets say Sprint Planning sessions for software companies) on site, and work remotely during the rest of the time. Otherwise let the space be used by the people who cannot or doesn't want to work at home, and leave the rest alone.

I do also think that the pandemic just greatly accelerated a process that was ongoing and slowly creeping ahead against strong resistance by power-tripping and/or risk-averse managers. Unless there's a massive economic collapse which will be used by bosses to coerce remaining workers back, the pre-pandemic office world is gone. 

[garbon]

In current job, we've coordinated some of the days in and each senior level person assigned some specific days. We also designated Friday a work at home day to concentrate footfall a bit.

[The Larch]

Back before the pandemic I used to be part of a coworking space, and normally I'd drop by whenever:

1) I had a meeting with colleagues.
2) There was some kind of event I wanted to attend.
3) I needed to use the space's resources for work (photocopier, scanner, do parcel delivery...).

Also, WFH after a while got somehow lonely and I craved some human contact, so it was good to socialize a bit too.

[Tamas]

I find it incredible that after 6 years we still see the having-a-cake-and-eating-it nonsense still rear its head:

Rishi Sunak has kept open the door to closer ties with the European Union but tried to pacify angry Brexiters in his own party by laying down a red line that the UK must remain free to set its own standards and regulation.

"we are happy to get better terms from the EU as long as it doesn't involve accepting any of their requirements". FFS let it go already.

[Josquius]

I find it incredible that after 6 years we still see the having-a-cake-and-eating-it nonsense still rear its head:

Rishi Sunak has kept open the door to closer ties with the European Union but tried to pacify angry Brexiters in his own party by laying down a red line that the UK must remain free to set its own standards and regulation.

"we are happy to get better terms from the EU as long as it doesn't involve accepting any of their requirements". FFS let it go already.

I strongly suspect this was a political ploy to make brexit a thing again and shore up tory support.

[Sheilbh]

Was chatting to someone at work today who'd been on holiday in Snowdonia in Wales (where they had a lovely time) - just as it's been decided that Welsh names will be preferred so it's now Eryri.

I thought this was a lovely, interesting piece on Wales' World Cup journey with all the performance of Yma o Hyd (Wales have an unreasonable number of good songs ) and the rise of Welsh identity and re-engagement with Welsh:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/19/wales-world-cup-qatar-emotional-awakening

There is something very winning about a squad that was announced by their manager deep in the Valleys, in the Miners' Welfare Hall of his home town having sold tickets to raise money for charity. Just a nice vibe.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I actively root for the dissolution of the UK so I can stop being unreasonably upset that the UK stupidly fields multiple national teams in international sports, using logic that could easily apply to thousands of sub-national units all over the globe but most mature serious countries don't attempt. But as usual we give the Brits special treatment--in fact you could say much of Europe's post-War relationship with Britain has been defined by special treatment to accommodate British nonsense.

[Sheilbh]

Not even just separate teams, there's also rugby union where the Ireland team represesnts the entire island of Ireland

[Barrister]

I actively root for the dissolution of the UK so I can stop being unreasonably upset that the UK stupidly fields multiple national teams in international sports, using logic that could easily apply to thousands of sub-national units all over the globe but most mature serious countries don't attempt. But as usual we give the Brits special treatment--in fact you could say much of Europe's post-War relationship with Britain has been defined by special treatment to accommodate British nonsense.

They get special rules because they invented the sport.

Of course it only works to their own disadvantage, really, as a unified UK team would only be stronger.

IIRC the UK also refuses to enter a men's soccer team in the Olympics (except for London 2012) because the IOC requires them to enter a unified team.

[Maladict]

I actively root for the dissolution of the UK so I can stop being unreasonably upset that the UK stupidly fields multiple national teams in international sports, using logic that could easily apply to thousands of sub-national units all over the globe but most mature serious countries don't attempt. But as usual we give the Brits special treatment--in fact you could say much of Europe's post-War relationship with Britain has been defined by special treatment to accommodate British nonsense.

Actually, many countries do. The Kingdom of the Netherlands fields five national teams, although only three are FIFA members.

The US has at least four (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa).

[OttoVonBismarck]

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa aren't actually part of the United States, they are just territories we hold in trust for people who cannot govern themselves.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I think Netherland's other teams are the same, right? Island possessions not actually part of the Netherlands.