CBRE: Employers Closer to Meeting Goals on In-Office Work

(Image courtesy of Christina Morillo/pexels.com)

CBRE, Dallas, released its Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, finding that employees and employers are closest to being on the same page about in-office work since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seventy-two percent of organizations surveyed report achieving attendance goals, up from 61% in 2024. And, 38% of respondents expect attendance to further increase, up from 34% last year.

“These increases show that companies have made significant progress on establishing a new baseline for work habits and office attendance after five years of adapting to hybrid work,” said Manish Kashyap, CBRE’s global president of leasing. “Having employers and employees closer to being on the same page now than in the previous couple of years gives both more clarity going forward. That benefits operational efficiency and space planning.”

The vast majority–85%–of the organizations report communicating an attendance policy, and 69% measure compliance currently, compared with 45% last year. More, at 37%, are taking actions to enforce the policy, compared with only 17% in 2024.

Ninety percent say they have specific expectations for office attendance, consistent with 2024, and 77% report expecting employees in the office three or more days per week. Actual attendance is hovering at 2.9 days per week.

One remaining challenge is non-peak attendance days, as 73% of organizations say office utilization is at capacity on peak-assistance days, but only 34% say that average attendance is at capacity.

Offices are changing some of their practices, with only 25% using assigned seating. In 2024, 40% reported assigned seating, and in 2023, 56% did so.

Two-thirds of office occupiers expect to maintain or expand their space over the next three years, and nearly half express concern about the availability of good-quality and well-located space, even in light of current high vacancy rates.

CBRE asked the respondents about “must-have” building amenities–the top answers included proximity to public transportation and parking, good food and beverage options, indoor air quality and sustainable building features and operations.