Workers average just 1.4 days a week in the office

More space will need to be sublet as workers average just 1.4 days a week in the office. According to international data from Advanced Workplace Associates, working from home has become the norm, such that even on the busiest days offices are more than half empty. Attendance on Fridays has dropped to just 12%. Andrew Mawson, managing director of AWA, said: ”We believe this will have a profound impact on the property market, which is not currently being recognised by the industry.” The survey of 80 offices in 13 countries representing 80,000 employees was conducted in June and July. It found that, in companies that did not have firm hybrid working policies, people came in less than one day a week on average. This is compared with the pre-pandemic average of nearly four days a week. “What this global survey shows is that as a result of changes due to the pandemic the hybrid working genie is out of the bottle,” Mawson said. “Even where employers try to force staff into the office two or three days a week, employees don’t comply.” In organisations where the rule is to spend three days in the office, attendance averages 2.1 days. As a result, AWA found that offices in most sectors and locations were under-occupied, meaning that “excess space will need to be re-purposed or sub-let”. Mawson added: “Organisations need to look at the data showing that two third of desks are unused and work with their employees to find smarter, more efficient ways of working that will fit in with how people want to live their lives, save money and be more environmentally friendly.” Average attendance in offices is just 26%, the report found, while mid-week peaks showed no more than a third of employees in the office. While the UK figures show a slightly higher average and midweek attendance, Mondays and Fridays are still very empty – with 19% and 13% attendance on those days. On average the British employee comes into the office less than 1.5 days a week. On average two thirds of desks in offices are now unused on a daily basis, and even on the busiest days offices are more than half empty.