UK EMPLOYERS WARNED: SAFETY RISKS RISE AS OFFICE ATTENDANCE SURGES

UK RETURN-TO-OFFICE DRIVE RAISES FRESH QUESTIONS OVER EMPLOYEE SAFETY

As major employers accelerate plans for a full return to the office, a leading personal safety expert has warned that workplace safety must become a board-level priority in 2026.

Large corporates including PwC and HSBC are among those increasing office attendance requirements, reflecting broader momentum across the UK. Recent figures indicate that 48 per cent of companies expect staff to be office-based full time within the next year, signalling a decisive shift towards pre-pandemic working patterns.

But as footfall rises and work-related socialising resumes, Sarah Schofield, founder of The Safe Woman, argues that employers risk focusing too narrowly on productivity metrics at the expense of employee safety and wellbeing.

“As offices and workplaces return to pre-Covid levels of activity, risk naturally increases,” says Sarah. “More people on-site, more commuting, more face-to-face interaction and more work-related socialising all mean safety can’t be treated as a background issue.”

The renewed emphasis on physical presence, she suggests, brings a parallel obligation to reassess duty of care policies. While many organisations updated flexible working frameworks in recent years, fewer have comprehensively reviewed safety protocols to reflect hybrid commuting patterns, late working hours and blurred professional-social boundaries.

Schofield warns that safety concerns are often underestimated precisely because they do not always appear urgent.

“Safety risks don’t just exist in extreme situations,” Sarah says. “They exist in the everyday moments people don’t plan for — late travel, unfamiliar environments, social pressure, or blurred boundaries between work and social life.”

Her perspective is shaped by personal experience. After being let down by police following her own assault, she founded The Safe Woman to provide practical education and preventative safety strategies, particularly for women navigating professional environments.

With attendance expectations rising, she believes employers must move from reactive compliance to preventative planning.

“Safety shouldn’t be reactive. If employers wait for an incident to happen before reviewing their approach, they’ve already left people exposed. Planning for safety is about protecting staff before something goes wrong — not responding after.”

Data suggests the issue carries both human and commercial implications. Research shows that 47 per cent of employees have considered avoiding work social events due to concerns around harassment or unsafe behaviour. Meanwhile, 79 per cent of people who experience sexual harassment at work never formally report it, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.

For businesses competing for talent in a tight labour market, perceptions of safety can directly affect retention, engagement and employer brand.

“Employers set the tone,” Sarah adds. “When safety is planned properly, staff feel more confident, incidents are less likely, and everyone benefits — including the business.”

Three structural pressures are intensifying the debate in 2026.

First, many workplace safety policies were designed for a very different operational landscape. Legacy guidance may not adequately reflect hybrid travel routines, after-hours networking events or increased face-to-face client engagement. Without clear reporting channels and updated training, gaps can emerge.

Second, employee wellbeing has become inseparable from long-term performance. Staff who feel unsupported or unsafe are more likely to disengage, opt out of networking opportunities or ultimately leave. Embedding safety into workplace culture strengthens trust and morale — both critical to productivity.

Third, prevention remains more effective than response. Once an incident occurs, reputational, legal and cultural damage can follow swiftly. Proactive training, clear protocols and visible leadership commitment can materially reduce risk exposure.

As companies seek to restore office energy and rebuild collaboration, the recalibration of workplace safety may prove as strategically important as the return-to-desk mandate itself. In a post-pandemic labour market shaped by heightened expectations of employer responsibility, safety is no longer a peripheral HR issue — it is a core governance concern.