A recent report by JLL, a global commercial real estate and investment management company, found that U.S. workers now spend an average of two days per week in the office. This is consistent with recent findings from management consulting company McKinsey & Co. that revealed spending half of working time in the office was the ideal setup for hybrid work, balancing employees’ wants and expectations of flexibility with the isolation of working remotely full-time.
Survey Findings – JLL reported that 87% of organizations are encouraging employees to work on-site at least some of the time. In fact, just 20% of employees work fully remotely or fewer than two days in the office per week, a decrease from 39% two years ago. This indicates that hybrid work is likely to remain popular as organizations increasingly push employees to return to the office in 2024.
Another report by technology company Owl Labs found that about two-thirds of employees now work in the office full-time, an increase from 41% in 2022. However, just 22% of employees said this was their preferred schedule, and more than half (58%) said they were only going to the office for a few hours to show their face. Additionally, many employees feel excluded from discussions regarding their working arrangements. This can create morale and engagement issues, leading to increased turnover rates. One study by consulting company Eagle Hill found that nearly half of surveyed employees said they’d consider leaving their jobs if their employer reduced their flexibility.
Conclusion – As organizations ask employees to return to the office, employers who continue to offer flexibility in line with employee expectations and needs may experience improved retention, engagement, and attraction. Employers can also consider including an engagement strategy in their return-to-work programs to gauge employee interests and desires for flexibility.