Increase in office attendance attributed to employers fine-tuning hybrid work: survey
Office attendance in New Zealand saw a slight increase this year as employers continue to fine-tune hybrid work arrangements in the country, a new report has revealed.
On average, employees are in the office 3.3 days per week in 2024, according to the 2024 CBRE New Zealand Office Occupier Sentiment Survey. This is a slight increase from the 3.2 days per week in 2023.
"The increase in office attendance represents a fine-tuning rather than the rejection of hybrid working practices, given their continued use by 91% of workplaces surveyed," the report read.
Source: 2024 CBRE New Zealand Office Occupier Sentiment Survey
This year, there was an 11% increase in the number of organisations where employees report to the office four days a week, it revealed. There were also fewer employers implementing a two- or three-in-office days weekly.
The public sector also reported the biggest increase in attendance rate weekly, while the legal sector remained the industry with the highest office attendance rate at 4.1 days per week.
Despite the ongoing shifts, three-day onsite arrangements remained the most popular arrangement in New Zealand with 49% of organisations implementing it. In fact, hybrid work arrangements continue to be popular as 91% of organisations remain supportive of them.
Forecast for hybrid work
The report indicated that the retention of hybrid work and increase in office attendance rate was "not surprising" after results from last year's report forecast these findings.
Looking forward, the latest results indicate that hybrid work will likely stay, as nearly half of the respondents expect "no change" to the arrangement over the next two to three years.
Source: 2024 CBRE New Zealand Office Occupier Sentiment Survey
Employers, however, continue to face various challenges on workplace culture and productivity when it comes to remote work.
"The primary challenge affecting the functioning of hybrid workplaces remains the impact on organisational culture," the report read.
Measuring productivity amid hybrid work implementation is also increasingly becoming a challenge, ranking second this year after being in sixth place a year ago.
"This heightened emphasis on measurement is reflected in the growing number of organisations adopting systems to regularly track office space utilisation," the report read.
To boost office attendance, employers said they are initiating social events and activities, as well as offering free food and coffee to encourage onsite work.
Some employers are also relocating to better-quality workspaces and are refurbishing their current office to encourage more office days.
Source: 2024 CBRE New Zealand Office Occupier Sentiment Survey
"The ongoing focus on providing employees with a better-quality working environment through relocation or refurbishment, in conjunction with parking, underscores the continued importance of optimised workplaces," the report read.
