Jessica O'ConnorA global study conducted by workplace experience company ISS revealed that while hybrid work is now the dominant model in many industries, the physical office remains a cornerstone of effective collaboration and organisational culture.
According to the study, 81% of employees currently operate within a hybrid work arrangement.
Among these, the most popular setup involved working from home one or two days per week, highlighting a clear shift away from the traditional five-day office week.
Despite this evolution in work patterns, the office continues to hold strategic importance.
71% of employees surveyed said they consider the office important, emphasizing its role in supporting team cohesion, innovation, and a sense of belonging.
In addition 88% percent of employees expressed concern about the potential negative impacts of prolonged work-from-home arrangements, and 43% identified diminished workplace relationships as the main risk of long-term remote work.
The importance of office space spanned all generations, though younger employees showed a stronger preference for in-person work environments.
The study found that 75% of Generation Z and 72% of Millennials regarded the office as important.
This sentiment is also shared by 67% of Generation X and 60% of Baby Boomers.
Regionally, the importance of office space was most pronounced in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, where 77% of respondents affirmed the value of a physical workplace.
The study also found variations based on location size, with 74% of respondents in large cities considering the office important, compared to 65% in smaller cities.
The transition back to office environments after the pandemic highlighted a significant issue: many existing office spaces are no longer aligned with how people work today.
Meeting rooms and collaborative areas, for example, were frequently found to be ill-suited for the mix of in-person and remote participants that hybrid work now requires.
This mismatch, according to the report, points to a broader need for redesigning workspaces to support flexibility, inclusivity, and productivity in the hybrid era.
Looking ahead, nearly half of all employees (47%) expected their current number of remote workdays to remain the same over the next five years.
Commenting on the report, Teemu Virolainen, group head of real estate at Danske Bank, said: “Offices are not going to disappear, but they will change and need to be more fit for their new purpose.”
