Workers make frequent visits to their workplace's physical location.
It appears that employees in prominent German cities are revisiting their offices more frequently, as per a study conducted by real estate specialist Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). On a weekly basis, the average employee spends roughly 3.6 days in the office, which is close to the pre-pandemic norm of 4 days.
The occupancy rate in offices has also seen an uptick, reaching 72% (compared to 63% the previous year and 79% prior to the pandemic). This survey, conducted online in June with the participation of 1,530 office workers, has revealed this new trend.
"There's a growing push for employees to return to the office, with an increasing number of companies setting a specific number of office attendance days," explained Helge Scheunemann, an expert in research from JLL Germany. This trend is even evident among employees who possess the flexibility to work from home or remotely.
Various industries are witnessing a rise in office attendance. This includes the IT sector, traditionally popular for remote work, as well as industries like finance and services. However, the trend has decreased slightly in the consulting and insurance sectors compared to last year. Retail, transport, logistics, and tourism have experienced a stagnation in office attendance.
JLL foresees a shift in focus
JLL does not anticipate a swift transition back to a full five-day workweek over the short to medium term. Instead, Scheunemann predicts a shift in focus: "In the coming years, the discourse surrounding remote work could morph into a more profound discussion about embracing a four-day workweek."
However, the Munich-based Ifo Institute does not foresee a significant trend towards office returns when analyzing Germany as a whole. The Ifo recently declared that the home office is "far from receding," with employees working from home for 17% of their time, as per their survey of companies. This figure remains unchanged from last year.
Despite the increase in office attendance, the crisis of the coronavirus still presents challenges for many companies. Many employees continue to work from home part-time, and JLL anticipates a shift towards embracing a four-day workweek instead of a swift return to a five-day workweek.
