Rory Sutherland

It's interesting, actually, because in the UK, for whatever reason, There are exceptions. If you go to tech companies, there's tumbleweed. You know, companies which are very strongly kind of tech engineering driven still seem to be very empty. What I know best is the ad industry. And actually, they're generally a fairly gregarious bunch.

It's interesting, actually, because in the UK, for whatever reason, There are exceptions. If you go to tech companies, there's tumbleweed. You know, companies which are very strongly kind of tech engineering driven still seem to be very empty. What I know best is the ad industry. And actually, they're generally a fairly gregarious bunch.

It's interesting, actually, because in the UK, for whatever reason, There are exceptions. If you go to tech companies, there's tumbleweed. You know, companies which are very strongly kind of tech engineering driven still seem to be very empty. What I know best is the ad industry. And actually, they're generally a fairly gregarious bunch.

And I think it's returned to a pretty acceptable kind of equilibrium. And by the way, personally, I don't want to see people in the office five days a week because everybody who's engaged in some sort of part of the knowledge economy, 20% to 40% of your working week is going to be stuff where you just need to truckle down, choose your own environment, and get on with it.

And I think it's returned to a pretty acceptable kind of equilibrium. And by the way, personally, I don't want to see people in the office five days a week because everybody who's engaged in some sort of part of the knowledge economy, 20% to 40% of your working week is going to be stuff where you just need to truckle down, choose your own environment, and get on with it.

And I think it's returned to a pretty acceptable kind of equilibrium. And by the way, personally, I don't want to see people in the office five days a week because everybody who's engaged in some sort of part of the knowledge economy, 20% to 40% of your working week is going to be stuff where you just need to truckle down, choose your own environment, and get on with it.

And you're much more likely to be more productive if you have some degree of discretion over where and when you work for those tasks that you perform on your own. But there is this value of what you might call serendipity, coaching, for example, co-creation, collaboration, which I think still requires some degree of co-location.

And you're much more likely to be more productive if you have some degree of discretion over where and when you work for those tasks that you perform on your own. But there is this value of what you might call serendipity, coaching, for example, co-creation, collaboration, which I think still requires some degree of co-location.

And you're much more likely to be more productive if you have some degree of discretion over where and when you work for those tasks that you perform on your own. But there is this value of what you might call serendipity, coaching, for example, co-creation, collaboration, which I think still requires some degree of co-location.

You know, it helps to have people in the same place at the same time for all kinds of reasons. However, what's weird is that the level of absenteeism, if you want, I don't want to call it that, but you know what I mean, okay, is much, much higher in the US and Canada than it is in the UK. Was sick leave?

You know, it helps to have people in the same place at the same time for all kinds of reasons. However, what's weird is that the level of absenteeism, if you want, I don't want to call it that, but you know what I mean, okay, is much, much higher in the US and Canada than it is in the UK. Was sick leave?

You know, it helps to have people in the same place at the same time for all kinds of reasons. However, what's weird is that the level of absenteeism, if you want, I don't want to call it that, but you know what I mean, okay, is much, much higher in the US and Canada than it is in the UK. Was sick leave?

Well, some of it's probably geographical in the simple sense that there are people who've moved. In other words, it's difficult in the UK to move so far away from the office that you can't come in for one or two days of the week. You have to choose an island somewhere or go to Scotland, I guess.

Well, some of it's probably geographical in the simple sense that there are people who've moved. In other words, it's difficult in the UK to move so far away from the office that you can't come in for one or two days of the week. You have to choose an island somewhere or go to Scotland, I guess.

Well, some of it's probably geographical in the simple sense that there are people who've moved. In other words, it's difficult in the UK to move so far away from the office that you can't come in for one or two days of the week. You have to choose an island somewhere or go to Scotland, I guess.

Um, in the US, there does seem to have been a sort of widespread dispersion of people to a distance away from their place of work, where it's a flight away, not a train ride away. But it's not, it's absolutely not what I would have predicted. Because if anything...

Um, in the US, there does seem to have been a sort of widespread dispersion of people to a distance away from their place of work, where it's a flight away, not a train ride away. But it's not, it's absolutely not what I would have predicted. Because if anything...

Um, in the US, there does seem to have been a sort of widespread dispersion of people to a distance away from their place of work, where it's a flight away, not a train ride away. But it's not, it's absolutely not what I would have predicted. Because if anything...

The US had a very strong culture of presenteeism, of people effectively getting in early, staying late, being absolutely desperate to show their face. And the office occupancy rates are much, much lower in the US and Canada than they are in Europe or the UK. Yeah.

The US had a very strong culture of presenteeism, of people effectively getting in early, staying late, being absolutely desperate to show their face. And the office occupancy rates are much, much lower in the US and Canada than they are in Europe or the UK. Yeah.