Consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) surveyed 43 UK offices, covering almost 50,000 employees, in June and July. The report found that average attendance was 29% – just 1.45 days of a typical five-day work week – peaking at 39% mid-week. Offices are at their quietest on Fridays, with 13% attendance, and Mondays, when less than a fifth of workers enter (19%). “Due to the pandemic, the hybrid genie is out of the bottle,” said Andrew Mawson, chief executive of the AWA. The global report found that those working in the banking industry had the highest average weekly office attendance at 47%, while those in the technology and logistics industries were more likely to work from home, going to the office just 15% of the time. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The report also found that when companies did not have a hybrid work policy, people came in less than one day a week on average. Even companies that try to force staff to attend three days a week are struggling, with workers going to work on average just 2.1 days a week. When an employer trusts its employees to make their own decisions about office attendance, the average is two days in the office per week. “Even when employers try to push staff into the office two or three days a week, workers don’t comply,” Mawson said. “Organisations need to look at the data that shows two-thirds of offices are unused and work with their employees to find smarter, more efficient ways of working that fit with how people want to live their lives, to save money and be more environmental. friendly.” The AWA says previous research conducted during Covid found that before the pandemic workers came into the office an average of 3.8 days a week. In a survey of 36 offices in 12 other countries, the AWA found that workers attended the office on just 1.4 days a week – 26% lower than the UK average. Office attendance peaks on Wednesdays at 31%.
