We have written this guide because there is a clear tension in the UK market.

On one side, business leaders are pushing for a return. According to a 2024 KPMG survey, 83% of UK CEO’s expect a return to pre-pandemic office patterns within three years. They recognise that without physical presence, teams lose cohesion, informal learning disappears and leaders find it harder to rally their people around shared goals.

On the other side, employees have recalibrated. Surveys show 87% of UK employees now prefer hybrid or remote models. Almost half would consider a pay cut to retain that flexibility.

Bridging that divide requires more than policy. It demands strategy, empathy and design.

Drawing on UK trends, Maris insight and lessons from thousands of fit-outs, we have created a practical, evidence-led guide for organisations navigating the return.

PART PLAYBOOK AND PART BUSINESS CASE, THIS GUIDE OFFERS:

• Strategic Rationale: Moving the conversation from “overheads” to “strategic assets”.
• Behavioural Insight: Understanding the “Commute Conundrum” and employee resistance.
• Design Principles: How to create “magnetic” workplaces that earn the commute.
• Execution Frameworks: A step-by-step roadmap from vision to measurement.

This guide exists to help you move from Compliance (forcing people in) to Magnetism (drawing people in).

Let’s get to work.
The Maris Strategy Team