12 Ways to Cut HR Costs: Part 8 - Office Closure / Reduce Office Overhead

By Daniel Pollard - 28 October 2020

UK employers consulted with staff on nearly half a million redundancies during the pandemic - roughly 1.5% of the working population. The true number will have been much higher as small-scale redundancies are not captured by government statistics. The furlough scheme will have given many employers an opportunity to pause but as the scheme comes to an end, employers face some tough choices.   

Over recent months we have seen a huge amount of creativity from our clients in finding ways to minimise redundancies. Over the next couple of weeks we will share 12 possible strategies adopted by our clients and some thoughts of our own to help reduce cost without compulsory lay-offs.

8. Office Closure / Reduce Office Overhead

Currently it seems that half of our clients are considering reducing their footprint and the other half are taking the opportunity to negotiate with landlords over more space and lease extensions. There are a myriad of issues to consider here for those downsizing:

• Health and Safety
• Physical Security
• Technology and Information Security
• Expenses and Tax
• Housing Issues
• Business Protection
• Working Time
• Super Remote Working
• Employee Privacy
• Overseas Working
• Practicalities

See our working from home policy checklist for analysis.

For all 12 ways to reduce HR costs without redundancies click here.