Employer surveys offer mixed signals on return-to-office mandates

Recent surveys of employers offer mixed signals on return-to-office mandates, with some data indicating a desire to boost office attendance but other indicators shading doubt on whether attendance rates will actually rise.

A survey by CBRE said that half of employers have attendance mandates, but only 17% of them actively enforce these mandates. Some 57% of respondents cited commute time as a barrier to achieving more frequent office attendance. Just 16% thought office location was a barrier.

Office workers prefer a commute time of 30 minutes or less, and some employers are offering flexible working hours to help mitigate long commute times. Corporate real estate decision-makers are taking proximity to public transit, on-site car parking, and electric vehicle charging stations into account when selecting buildings.

Employers indicated concern that sporadic, unpredictable office attendance may negatively impact relationship building, cross-team collaboration, and cultural connectivity. But only one-quarter of respondents said current office attendance levels reduce productivity.