Companies ready to defy Boris Johnson’s planned return to work

Guardian analysis finds many large England-based firms opt to keep staff working at home

• England: sector-by-sector look at work plans of major employers
• Future shape of offices: proposals to make workplaces safe

A slew of England’s biggest businesses are set to defy the government’s push to get workers back into offices in August, a Guardian analysis shows, with many big businesses sticking to home working arrangements or delaying a partial return until September at the earliest.

Law firms, insurers, energy providers and tech firms are among those reacting cautiously to the change in government advice, which means from Saturday employers can decide whether staff can safely come back to offices. Some companies, such as Google and NatWest Group, are allowing workers to stay at home until 2021 amid signs of a permanent shift in working culture.

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