London’s Financial Workers Flock Back to Office in Hot Commuter Crush

Workers pass by a sales person as they walk towards the City of London financial district as they cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London, Britain, on Sept. 8, 2021. Toby Melville/Reuters

LONDON—There’s no free lunch in finance—except when banks are wooing workers back to the office.

London’s financial sector, keen to return to a semblance of normality after the worst of the pandemic, is leading the charge to encourage employees back to their old lives, with some companies even offering free food and social events.