Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have given City of London firms a final push towards hybrid working after a ‘long term shift’ in favour of the flexible model, experts say. Boris Johnson is poised to move forward with the third stage of his roadmap out of lockdown on May 17, when foreign travel will resume and Britons will be able to meet friends and family indoors. As restrictions ease, a swathe of London-based firms have pledged to adopt a hybrid working pattern in which employees can split their week between the office and home. HSBC and JP Morgan are among those to announce the shift, with Lloyds Bank confirming it will reduce its office space by 20 percent as working from home becomes a permanent lifestyle (pdf). Changes like this will have a significant impact on the typically bustling City of London, but real estate experts claim the demand for a five-day …