Average office occupancy levels across the UK have reached new post-Covid lockdown highs in the first two weeks of June, according to the latest data from Remit Consulting.
Last week, the national average office occupancy rate reached 38.1% (Monday to Friday), down 0.3% from the previous week when an average of 38.4% was recorded, the highest level seen since the end of the national lockdown in 2021.
Remit Consulting’s Return Report - the key report for measuring office occupancy since the pandemic lockdowns ended - shows that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays remain the most popular days for staff to be in the office, supporting British Land's recent statement that mid-week occupancy levels, for its central London offices are back to pre-pandemic levels, as reported.
Lorna Landells of Remit Consulting said the latest figures reflect the steady increase in office occupancy rates it has recorded in the first half of the year.
"Slowly, occupancy rates are heading towards those seen before the pandemic. However, the average for the whole week remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, particularly Mondays and Fridays, suggesting that office occupancy is no longer just a measure of attendance but, for some organisations, it’s increasingly a reflection of business strategy.
“While some companies are driving employees back in as a route to stronger collaboration and culture, others are maintaining low attendance levels. This suggests that there is little impact on performance with certain employers, who seem to be taking more nuanced approaches, shaped by the business model, workforce demographics and even geography.
“The question is shifting from ‘how many people are in?’ to ‘what are they here to do?’. That’s a more complex, but arguably more meaningful, conversation, and one that’s starting to influence how businesses assess space, culture and productivity."
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.
Previous research from the BCO suggested a figure of 60%, while other market practitioners suggest a figure of between 70% and 80% at peak times in the calendar, although this will have varied widely according to individual buildings and businesses. The data shows an adjusted figure to compare current figures with a possible pre-pandemic “average office occupancy”.
The Return Report is compiled by Remit Consulting weekly and is based on data provided by building managers from office buildings in major cities around the UK, many in central and prime locations. The data is obtained from the buildings’ access control systems, providing an overview of the number of staff and visitors entering a property on weekdays. This is presented as a percentage of the capacity of each building.