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Office occupancy trends rise, but hybrid working remains dominant

30 December 2024

  • November peaks driven by purpose-led visits and shifting attitudes towards in-office mandates

Since late October 2024, office occupancy rates across the UK have been consistently higher than previously recorded since the pandemic, according to data released by Remit Consulting and November had the highest monthly average recorded since the firm’s research began in May 2021, as lockdown restrictions were eased

The small, but sustained, uptick recorded since the end of October has seen office occupancy rates maintaining average levels above 35%. There are diverse views in the property sector regarding what constitutes maximum occupancy for offices, with some industry commentators suggesting that, due to holidays, external meetings, staff sickness and other operational issues, offices were only ever 60-80% ‘full’ before the pandemic, meaning that occupancy rates are still, significantly below where they were before COVID-19.

The volume of external visitors to office buildings has also increased over the Autumn, indicating an increase in face-to-face meetings with clients, customers and business partners.

Despite the increases in the number of staff working in the office on a daily basis, hybrid working patterns continue to dominate the office workplace.

“The steady recovery in workplace attendance, particularly in key urban centres, suggests a gradual shift towards in-person collaboration, as businesses balance flexibility with the value of face-to-face interaction,” said Lorna Landells of Remit Consulting.

In addition to monitoring the volume of staff and visitors entering office buildings daily, a recent survey of office workers carried out by Remit Consulting also confirmed the importance of face-to-face meetings and team-building opportunities for staff, with a majority of respondents citing these as the primary reasons for them to attend the office.

“The rise in purpose-driven visits underscores the evolving role of the office as a hub for collaboration, networking, and client engagement, rather than a place for routine tasks that can be performed remotely,” said Landells.

The Office Worker Survey also revealed a reduction in the number of employees who would consider leaving their jobs if required to return to the office full-time, marking a shift from attitudes recorded twelve months ago.

“Increased publicity around mandates for returning to the office may have contributed to the sustained rise in attendance, suggesting that employees are adapting to the expectations of in-person collaboration. This reduction in resistance to full-time office mandates could signal a shift in workforce sentiment, potentially easing the implementation of stricter attendance policies for some organisations.

“However, our research suggests that organisations emphasising collaborative and networking opportunities in their office environments may be better positioned to attract and retain talent in the hybrid working era.

“While the steady increase across most cities is encouraging and is a positive sign, managing these occupancy trends remains a challenge for businesses, particularly those striving to optimise workspace usage while minimising overheads,” added Landells.

Findings from Remit Consulting’s Office Worker Survey (Oct/Nov 2024):

  • Commuting remains the top deterrent to staff returning to the office. Staff need to have a reason to go into the office, such as meeting people, but sometimes even a free lunch is sufficient.
  • “A lack of desks” and “noise/distractions” have increased as reasons given not to go to the office.
  • Potentially businesses have overcompensated for hybrid working in terms of desk provision and some workers are now struggling to find desk space upon returning to the office.
  • The percentage of staff saying that they would consider leaving their job if mandated to be in the office has reduced over the last two iterations of Remit Consulting's Office Worker Survey, showing that finding a new job is potentially more difficult than previously or workers are settling back into the idea of more frequent office attendance.
  • In response to a question "How satisfied are you with your workplace?" on a scale of 1-6 (1 being the highest) - no respondents gave their workplace a top mark, and many didn’t rate their office higher than a 4.
  • Many respondents to the survey suggested that a decision to attend the office depended on who else they expected to be there.