Remote Work Is Growing In Popularity, But Companies Are Not Clearing Out Office Spaces

Most workers want to shift to hybrid or remote working styles, but there has not been a dramatic decrease in office space to reflect that change, according to a Harvard Business Review report.

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) identified an emerging norm in a survey of 5,000 U.S. workers and 500 employers. It showed that three days in the office and two at home are the emerging norms, which cuts days at work by 30%.

Still, the data from HBR shows cuts in office space of only 1-2% on average, showing reductions in “density not space.” HBR noted that workers appreciate an emptier office, but employers still want to create “inviting social spaces that encourage face-to-face collaboration, creativity, and serendipitous interactions.”

In addition, the hybrid model is most popular when workers take Monday and Friday off, which means the desire to go into an office space at least some of the time still exists.

While businesses may not be giving up their office space just yet, it may be time to rethink how office spaces are structured. The traditional large corporate office space may not be practical anymore.

“Companies are looking to reduce the amount of space they lease per worker,” according to Regus, a U.K.-based office-service company.

The pandemic may have accelerated the trend of less office space, but it started in the post-2008 recession.

New leases on office space in 2013 averaged around 183 feet per person, according to research done by Norm Miller at the University of San Diego, with data from Deutsche Asset management showing the trend has continued from 2013 to 2016.

In Asia and Europe, there are even greater changes to how office spaces are imagined or reimagined.