UK office attendance is up but desk provision has shrunk finds AWA research

Just 13 per cent of UK organisations are considering downsizing, suggesting that most may have reduced their real estate as far as they can according to the latest Hybrid Working Index from global workplace management consultancy AWA.

UK offices provide just 56 desks per 100 employees on average according to the study, which reveals that organisations have shrunk their desk provision since the first index was published in July 2022, when the ratio was 79 desks per 100 employees.

This decrease in desk provision suggests that organisations are fully committed to hybrid working but must now work harder to both maximise office use and optimise the space they have. The fourth Hybrid Working Index reveals that UK workers are now going into the office 1.65 days per week on average, up marginally from 1.5 days in July 2022, while desk usage has seen a more significant increase from 33 per cent to 49 per cent. Both attendance and desk usage are highest on Tuesdays.

The increase in office attendance and reduction in office space could also explain AWA’s discovery that organisations may have reduced their real estate footprint as far as they can post-pandemic. Just 13 per cent are still considering downsizing on space, compared with 37 per cent when respondents were asked the same question in the previous index, published in August 2023.

Despite many recent stories in the media of large organisations, such as Amazon and McKinsey, demanding their employees spend more time in the office, AWA’s research has found that in-office mandates have decreased. The findings revealed that 18 per cent of UK organisations are now mandating in-office days, a decrease from the first index, when 49 per cent were mandating at least one day in the office for employees.

Andrew Mawson, AWA founder, said: “Our fourth hybrid index has shown that most organisations have fully bought into hybrid working and flexible working strategies that maximise the use of the office space they have left. Now, the pressure is on property and facilities management professionals to ensure they provide offices where employees can not only find the room and amenities to do their work but also thrive in environments that cater to their needs, support their wellbeing, and bring the best version of themselves.”

The full report can be found here: