Our GCO FlexWork team has decades of experience helping companies develop and implement flexible work programs. Their expertise means they field all kinds of questions from clients large and small across the region. This month the team shares their research and insights to answer some of the most common questions around the latest trends in Return to Office.
How many companies have shifted to full-time in office?
Despite the call for a full return to work by some large tech and finance companies, only 32% of U.S. firms have taken this approach. The Q4 2024 Flex Report finds that 68% of companies offer work location flexibility.
According to the report, 32% of U.S. firms require employees onsite 5 days a week. It also found that large U.S. firms (25K+ employees) shifted 7 percentage points toward full-time in office. Such companies include Amazon, Dell, AT&T, and JPMorgan Chase.
Are most employees back at the office?
Most, yes, but it’s a hybrid return. According to the Flex Report, 68% of all U.S. firms offer some form of flexibility. By far the most popular approach is the structured hybrid model. This model requires employees to be in the office on set days and at set times. The report finds that 38% of companies have adopted a structured hybrid work model with employees working onsite an average of 2.6 days a week.
What is the impact on office occupancy?
Office occupancy collected by Kastle reflects the hybrid return trend. This data is still showing a weekly occupancy of about 54.2% for its 10-city Back to Work Barometer. This number has hovered around a 50% average for a few years. Peak-day office occupancy is on Tuesdays (63.4%).
What type of companies are more likely to offer flexibility?
According to the Flex Report, from the beginning of the pandemic smaller firms (with less than 500 employees) are more likely to have fully flexible programs, while firms with more than 24,000 employees adopt a structured hybrid approach.
Firms with headquarters in cities such as New York and San Francisco tend to prefer hybrid arrangements. Additionally, firms that are smaller, younger, and have younger women CEOs are also more likely to offer hybrid solutions.
What are the impacts on recruitment and retention of RTO mandates?
Pew Research in 2024 compiled interesting research on flexibility. Based on their data:
75%
of adults that have a job that can be done at home are working remotely on a hybrid or full-time basis.
46%
of adults will be unlikely to stay in their jobs if they were required to come to the office, with women being more likely to leave than men.
Need help in training your managers and employees or in developing a robust FlexWork program? Contact us at telework@gacommuteoptions.com. We have experienced staff that can make your program more efficient.