Sunak: Young people will benefit from returning to the office

3 August 2021, 10:20

Young people can get a boost to their careers by being back in the office, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said.

The Government is no longer asking people to go work from home after the 'Freedom Day' unlocking on July 19.

Instead, guidance says it "expects and recommends a gradual return over the summer".

Speaking to LinkedIn News, Mr Sunak said: "I have spoken previously about young people in particular benefiting from being in offices.

"It was really beneficial to me when I was starting out in my career."

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He said he had visited Scotland last week and spoke to young people in the financial services sector.

"I was telling them the mentors that I found when I first started my job I still talk to and they have been helpful to me all through my career even after we have gone in different ways," he said.

Should people get back to the office after Rishi's comments?

"I doubt I would have had those strong relationships if I was doing my summer internship or my first bit of my career over Teams and Zoom.

"And that's why I think for young people in particular being able to physically be in an office is valuable."

He added that the decision about return to work has been left up to businesses.

Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, Gillian Keegan, the apprenticeships minister, said: "We've urged businesses to use the summer to be cautious and to start to ramp up those people who will go back to the office.

"Businesses will decide, we're not telling them what to do, between flexible working and how many people go back to the office."