A schedule that includes at least three days of on-site office work remains the clear favorite among companies adopting hybrid work options, according to the latest nationwide workplace survey by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Challenger researchers found that only about 5.7% of more than 200 human resources and other business executives surveyed say their companies are converting to fully remote work models and giving up most or all of their physical office space. Still, that portion was larger than the 2.6% of executives who backed fully remote work during an similar survey conducted in spring of this year.
Many companies nationwide have given up at least a portion of their office space with no immediate plans to return to fully on-site operations, and remote work is also allowing cuts in other business expenses including corporate travel. Challenger’s survey found more than 76% of respondents are reducing business travel in the current economic environment, up from about 59% in the prior survey conducted in spring.
“The reduction in business travel could be due to the lasting impact of remote and hybrid work,” Senior Vice President Andrew Challenger said in a statement. “It certainly appears companies do not expect workers to be in an office five days a week and are more willing to stream workers into meetings than fly them.”
The outplacement firm found just over 33% of respondents, the largest contingent in the survey, are requiring at least three days of on-site office work. More than half, 54%, have hybrid or remote arrangements for most of their employees and have no plans to bring everyone back to the office full-time.
Results of Challenger’s survey, which is conducted about every six months, generally confirm those of other analysts in sizing up what has become a more accepted hybrid work culture, long after the end of the pandemic’s emergency restrictions based on health concerns. The trend has caused headaches for many owners of office, retail and other types of properties that traditionally have depended on office foot traffic, especially in city center neighborhoods