Why remote workers in UK are being prohibited from using laptops in cafes and coffee shops?

Two coffee chains in the UK have introduced a new policy aimed at stopping remote workers from "hogging" tables and limiting turnover during the peak hours of business.

According to a BBC report, theCollective in Caversham and Milk and Bean in Newburyhave implemented the policy withthe use of laptops banned between 11:30 and 13:30 local time on weekdays and a blanket ban on the device use during the weekends.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become the norm across the globe. Workers often trudge down to their nearby cafes and coffee joints to work in a social setting where they save money on energy and wi-fi.

However, with such people hogging the tables for long periods, the profit margins of the cafestend to nosedive as new customers are unable to sit and spend money.

"Having [people using] laptops isn't really ideal - it does mean a lower turnover and quite a low spend compared to people that aren't on laptops,"Milk and Bean owner Chris Chaplin told the publication.

"It also brings the vibe of the place down with people on laptops.On one hand, we rely on them for revenue, but on the other hand, they've got to be reasonable and have some self-awareness."

Manager Alex Middleton of TheCollective said that people coming in with their laptops often had "quite a low spend" but would sit at the tables for "quite a long time".

Quizzed about the reaction from customers about the new policy, Middleton said: "We're quite lucky that a lot of our customers are returning customers that come in quite often - so they respect the policy, but then you will get people that get a little bit antsy about it."

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Remote work culture in the UK

Prior to the pandemic, just 4.7 per cent of UK employees worked from home, according to a report inForbes.However, by April 2020, the figure rose as 46.6 per cent of employees did at least part of their job from home.

In 2022, a quarter (25 per cent)of UK employees worked from home at least some of the time. As of the data available between May and June 2023, 14 per cent of the employees were working from home.

(With inputs from agencies)