Rishi Sunak has warned staff may quit their jobs if they are not provided with an office, as he urged firms to reopen their workspaces after lockdown.

The Chancellor made his plea on the week of the year anniversary of Covid-19 lockdown, in which office workers have spent a full 12 months working from home.

There was a push by the Government to get workers back in the workplace in the summer, but repeated lockdowns have once again forced workers to work from their kitchen tables or makeshift desks.

But Mr Sunak has said staff may “vote with their feet” and quit roles where they were not provided with an office.

Companies across the UK are now looking at how to tackle the issue of remote versus office working once lockdown ends, with many backing a hybrid model as employees seek to remain working from their homes part-time.

“You can’t beat the spontaneity, the team building, the culture that you create in a firm or an organisation from people actually spending physical time together,” he said.

Young people reaped the benefits of proximity to experienced mentors when working in an office, he added.

“Imagine you’ve just left college or university you start this job in a big company and you’re sitting at home on your own,” Mr Sunak said.

“How do you get to know your peers, how do you learn the culture of an organisation, how do you get those mentors, which are important for your career development?”

It comes after prominent figures – such as Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey – have declared in recent weeks that they believe the five-day-a-week office commute is over.