Employers and employees have engage in an ongoing power struggle for return-to-office policies by 2022, with research showing that Hybrid American employees come to the office more than one day a week in the first half of the year.
But now that the year is coming to an end and economic uncertainty threatens the job market, workers are changing their hybrid work habits. According to workplace technology expert Robin’s Combined Workplace Report Q3 2022Office attendance is on the rise.
The reason for this increase? According to Robin, employee work habits change with the seasons – and may encourage employers to adjust office policies according to the time of year.
Robin’s research based on aggregated data of more than 2.5 million onsite booking customers. It found that office attendance rates decreased seasonally during winter break, early summer, and again late summer, correlating with summer breaks and major holidays.
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Employees come to the office less in the summer, when only 24% of office space is occupied. They go to the office a little more in October (27%), then more often in early November (32%), before office usage drops to near zero ahead of Thanksgiving and the holiday. bronze. Robin’s data indicates that the office attendance rate was 10% in Q3 compared to Q2.
Robin co-founder Zach Dunn argues that employers should use seasonal office attendance trends to inform about combined work policies.
According to Dunn, current combined return-to-office policies follow a weekly schedule that doesn’t coordinate with employees’ in-office schedules. He told ZDNET that businesses go through busy seasons that require more collaborative effort among employees, which is when employees tend to come to the office frequently.
“Businesses have busy seasons, and [work] make them more visible when more people show up in person to do collaborative work around it,” Dunn said.
Slower office turnaround times provide a good opportunity for leaders to rethink their workplace strategies, which can ensure minimal disruption for employees while also not forcing them to the office at a time that is not productive or convenient for them.
“In a hybrid team, you are more likely to prioritize working in the office when others can do it too and when it supports the work you have to do,” says Dunn.
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Europeans appear to be the biggest office users, with Robin data reporting peak office usage of 30% in the third quarter. They are also in the office slightly more often than their counterparts. United States, an average of 5.5 days a month versus 4.9 days.
In Q1 2023, office attendance is expected to grow to 33%. But before employees return before the New Year, Robin suggested that employers improve their combined work policies for the New Year.
In 2023 and beyond, leaders should focus on creating an office environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and strengthens employee relationships, says Robin. This includes taking “a flexible approach to hybrid work” to consider types of spaces and facilities that workers need to make the most of their time at the office and at home. So employers should “consider altering the space to accommodate an activity-based layout,” says Robin.
The way we work is constantly changing and you’re better off continuing to embrace changes to office policy. As reports continue to demonstrate, companies get stuck in their way and refuse to comply with workers’ demands. risk losing the best talent.
