In the years since, companies have been trying to find a balance which suits their business and workforce, often settling on a hybrid system where all staff are in the office at least some of the time.
A new report from CBRE shows that office attendance across Europe is increasing as the new ways of working continue to settle down.
The broker’s 2024 European Office Occupier Survey shows that average building use of 41%-80% has risen to 61%, up from 48% in 2023. In other words, almost two thirds of companies now report that office space is being used between two and four days a week. A year ago, less than half of firms reported the same.
The biggest changes are being seen in the largest companies with employee headcounts of 5,000 or more, with a “natural momentum” towards the office and return-to-office mandates being cited as the reason for the increased use of office buildings.
The proportion of employees going to the office three or more days a week has risen to 43%, compared with 37% in 2023, reflecting the increase in average use. CBRE also notes that this is due to employees coming into the office more regularly, rather than companies reducing the size of their portfolios.
Five-day attendance has also increased for smaller companies, with 31% of businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees seeing staff return to the office full time. However, the majority of companies of this size are still operating on a hybrid model.
What type of office space to rent is most popular?
What businesses need is changing. Persuading people to return to the office is a major challenge facing many companies, with the key being to offer employees something they can’t get at home.
That means higher quality office space has become more popular, and many more traditional spaces with open-plan layouts and banks of desks have become less desirable. Grade A, sustainable offices like The Bulb in Southampton or Friar’s House offer a more sustainable alternative that is attractive to staff and aligns with what people want to see in their workplace.
Likewise, more adaptable spaces that offer a range of working environments alongside social areas and high quality amenities create a premium working environment that is more likely to get staff into the office. Great examples of this are 1 Newbridge Square in Swindon and Lynch Wood Park in Peterborough.
That makes new or refurbished office spaces that are able to support bespoke fit outs and offer flexible spaces very attractive to businesses. This type of facility – like Southgate House – is now an extremely popular office space for rent and companies are advised to move quickly to secure the best office.
Finally, offices in the city centre like Northminster House or Cherry Tree Court are also proving popular. Ease of access is vital to make commuting as easy as possible in a time when people have experienced what life can be like without long daily travel to and from work.
If you want people to return to the office, it pays to have a space that matches what people expect in a modern workplace. Whether that is a new building or a refurbished office, the sooner you move, the sooner office attendance will start climbing in line with the CBRE report.
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