LONDON North Eastern Railway (LNER) has revealed exclusive research showing the pent-up demand for face-to-face meetings and business lunches once lockdown restrictions lift, with more than 93 per cent of Yorkshire-based workers who now work from home saying that they are desperately missing in-person contact with colleagues and clients alike.

According to the study of businesspeople, 91 per cent of Yorkshire respondents felt that the inability to have after work drinks or lunches with colleagues has had a negative effect on the morale of their workplace and 18 per cent yearn to be able to travel for work again.

While many companies are adopting more flexible daily working arrangements for employees, the research has shown that there is still plenty of room for the face-to-face business meetings – 98 per cent of respondents admitted that they are better communicators in face-to-face meetings, while 79 per cent said they are more likely to seal a deal in person than via a video or telephone call.

The Zoom phenomenon that supported businesses throughout the pandemic seems to be wearing off, with nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of the people surveyed from Yorkshire saying that video calls will gradually become less popular as restrictions lift.

Initially, people were satisfied with the online meeting, in fact, 40 percent agreed that they were “fun at the start but the novelty has worn off”.

LNER Managing Director David Horne said: “We’re pleased that there’s an appetite to return to face-to-face business interactions."

LNER Managing Director David Horne said: “We’re pleased that there’s an appetite to return to face-to-face business interactions.

“Pre-pandemic, we saw business customers travelling every day to all corners of the country to enjoy the merits that come with face-to-face business meetings. This has been something our onboard colleagues have really missed during the past 16 months and we’re excited to be seeing the signs that this is restarting."