Heatwave drives office working boom as employees ditch sweaty WFH in favour of air con

Published: 16:08, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 16:28, 9 July 2026 As Britain's third heatwave of the summer strikes this week, workers are ditching their sweltering home offices in favour of cool air-conditioned offices. Companies operating businesses throughout the UK have informed the Daily Mail that they have witnessed a surge in people coming into the office - and believe a desire to beat the heat is behind the boost. Flexible office firm Office Space in Town (OSiT), which has five locations across London, reported a 75 per cent increase in office attendance at their sites during the 'red alert' heatwave in the capital, from June 22 to July 3.  The spike in numbers, the company said, was as a result of people seeking fully air-conditioned office environments as opposed to increasingly hot temperatures at their homes.  In fact, OSiT said approximately 60 per cent of workers that used their facilities during periods of extreme heat felt it was 'more convenient' to travel to and work in an air-conditioned office. Sarah Singlehurst, co-founder of OSiT, said employees are choosing cooler environments 'where they can work comfortably'.  Ms Singlehurst said: 'With no statutory maximum working temperature in the UK, employees are responding pragmatically during heatwaves by choosing cooler environments where they can work comfortably and stay productive. 'It highlights how extreme summer temperatures are now directly shaping day-to-day working decisions.'  Workers across Britain look set to ditch sweltering WFH conditions in favour of cool air-coned offices as the third heat wave hits  A 75 per cent increase in office attendance was reported by OSiT, a London-based workspace company, during the rising heat ADAPT Workspace, who offer over 3,000 offices to rent across London, cited a similar upwards trend of people using their workspaces because of the appeal of the aircon. Of the providers it works with, the company said, increases of double-digits in occupancy were reported during the hot weather, in particular 'cool, modern, air conditioned buildings' with in-office amenities.  Chris Meredith, CEO & Founder of ADAPT, said the company has 'definitely' seen the heatwaves change how businesses are using office space. He said: 'The office is no longer just somewhere to put desks. During a heatwave, a cool, comfortable workspace becomes a genuine employee benefit.  'Good air conditioning, meeting space and breakout areas are playing a much bigger role in attendance, collaboration and productivity. 'Companies are investing in better workplaces that give people a reason to come into the office, and extreme weather is definitely accelerating this change.'  Outside of London, where temperatures are still reaching up to 30C, a similar story can be found. Department UK is an office workspace operator in Manchester and Leeds.  FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon have also been cited as pulling crowds into cool office spaces  Abigail Chew, operations director at Department UK, said the company is seeing 'more' of their members 'choosing to spend time in the workspace where there is air conditioning' as the hotter weather emerges. Ms Chew said: 'We're seeing more of our members choosing to spend time in the workspace where there is air conditioning. 'In workspaces like Department at Bonded Warehouse, with its exposed brick walls, it offers a more comfortable place to work for both focused work and collaboration during this heatwave, and it's been great to see the spaces being well used.' Yet it is not only the draw of the aircon that is tempting workers into the office.  In fact, major sporting tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon have been cited as pulling crowds into office spaces by the same companies.  Ms Chew added: 'The World Cup's also been a brilliant reason for people to come together, with members coming into the office to watch the matches and enjoy the atmosphere with their teams. 'With venues across St John's showing the games right on our doorstep, it has made it easy for teams to head out together straight after work, while others have been using lunch breaks to watch Wimbledon on The Green.' Ms Singlehurst also cited a rise in in-office viewings for the World Cup at OSiT during periods of hot weather that coincided with England fixtures. Britain's third heatwave of the summer has come into full force this week Amber and yellow heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency from Thursday She said: 'While we hear chants of the football coming home, we have seen the reverse in the movements of our employees, who want to go into the office and catch the excitement of the matches with their teams and the crowds gathering in the communal screening amenities in our locations.' The surge in office attendance comes as Britain's third heatwave of the year is in full force this week.  Parts of south-east England officially entered a heatwave on Monday, after three days at or above the threshold temperature which varies by region but is 28C in London. Hot weather is expected to last throughout this week and next with meteorologists saying the heatwave threshold could be met for as many as 14 days in some areas. On Thursday and Friday, the Met Office expects areas of south-east England, including London, to reach highs of 35C to 36C. Amber and yellow heat health alerts have also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the Midlands and southern England, which came into force at 9am on Thursday.  The alerts will remain in force until at least Sunday, and indicate 'significant impacts' are likely across health and social care services because of the weather - including a 'rise in deaths', particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.   The rising temperatures follow last month's scorching heatwave, when a record temperature for June of 37.7C was set in Lingwood in Norfolk on Friday, June 26.  That came after May's record heatwave when a scorching 35.1C was reached in Kew, London, smashing the previous peak of 32.8C set in 1922.