British workers are resisting calls to work in the office more often, amid complaints about insufficient desks and facilities.
A fifth of employees surveyed by Remit Consulting cited a lack of workspace as one of the top three reasons for staying away. Researchers say this underlines how some companies are cutting back too far on office space after the pandemic ushered in a wave of working from home.
Several major companies have scaled back their real estate footprints to reduce overhead costs, with insurers such as Aviva and banking giant HSBC among the most high-profile. HSBC, for example, will soon leave its Canary Wharf tower for a smaller building near St Paul’s Cathedral.
Elijah Lewis of Remit Consulting said the findings “clearly merit further research”, adding: “If this trend continues, it could indicate that the shift towards prioritizing meeting and breakout spaces at the expense of individual agencies may have gone too far. He noted that the survey only began examining sentiment around agency shortages in November, after feedback from property managers that it was quickly becoming a pressing issue.
It is a challenge that large companies in the United States also face. Retail and technology giant Amazon, for example, was forced to delay office returns for thousands of employees after realizing there wouldn’t be enough physical space to work on-site five days a week.
However, for British workers the main reason for avoiding the office remains the hassle and expense of commuting. Noise and distraction levels in an office environment were also cited as major deterrents.
Despite such concerns, UK office occupancy in November reached its highest monthly average since well before the pandemic. Turnout topped 35 percent for the first time since Remit’s survey began in May 2021, reflecting the gradual easing of lockdown rules.
“Increased publicity around return-to-office mandates may have contributed to the continued rise in attendance, indicating employees are adapting to in-person collaboration,” said Lorna Landells of Remit. “This reduction in resistance to full-time office mandates could signal a shift in workforce sentiment, potentially facilitating the implementation of stricter attendance policies for some organizations.”
Remit’s research shows that companies that place a strong emphasis on meeting, collaboration and networking opportunities are likely to withdraw staff more often. The survey also shows that fewer employees than before say they would quit if told to return full-time. can be more challenging.
Meanwhile, the research found that the number of external visitors to office buildings has increased in recent months, indicating an increased number of face-to-face meetings with clients, customers and partners. Many employees admitted that their decision to come into the office depends on who else will be there on any given day. In some cases, even a free lunch can serve as an incentive.
“Offices increasingly need a purpose,” Ms. Landells explains. “They are evolving into hubs for collaboration, networking and customer engagement, rather than just rows of desks for routine tasks that can just as easily be done at home.”
Although office occupancy rates have increased, they are still nowhere near pre-2020 levels. Before Covid, offices were generally considered ‘full’: around 60 to 80 percent, accounting for annual leave, external meetings and sick days.
Not a single employee surveyed gave their office space high marks, suggesting there is still plenty of room for improvement. Many employers are now exploring whether the cost savings of smaller offices justify the challenge of accommodating staff who, after years of hybrid working, still need sufficient desk space to feel both welcome and productive on-site.
A recent report from the Center for Cities also shows that London’s workers are coming back at a slower rate than those in Paris and New York. Where UK businesses have introduced back-to-office mandates, the most common requirement is around three days a week, lagging behind Sydney and other global hubs such as Singapore, New York, Toronto and Paris by four days.