Beers and birthday cakes are a welcome return to office life

Cheers! Cakes and beers are back on the agenda now the majority of the country's workforce have returned to the office. The much-loved celebration of staff members' special days seemed to be gone forever amid fears blowing the candles out would cover the cake in Covid. However, one in five workers would now happily nibble on a slice of birthday cake once candles have been extinguished. A new normal George Ratcliffe, Chief Operating Officer of INEOS Hygienics said: “Slowly but surely things are starting to return to normal, or certainly a new normal. And getting back into the office is a hugely important, if not vital part, of that. We spend so long at work that many of these traditions of office life form part of our routine and increase our overall wellbeing, so the fact they are starting to become the norm, and considered to be safe again, is great news." Being able to enjoy nice lunches, watch your favourite film or boxset on the commute , or finally start that book you’ve been struggling to find the time to read were also revealed as positives to heading back to the office. Hygiene concerns are still present But despite the wave of positivity, the report did reveal almost seven out of ten (68 per cent) of workers have concerns about the hand hygiene of colleagues, with one in five (20 per cent) not quite ready to shake hands in meetings. George Ratcliffe added: “Despite there being a few lingering fears about what the great return to work might look like, it’s great to see that the British spirit hasn't faded - with colleagues still feeling comfortable heading out for a beer or two after work.