FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
As the school holidays came to an end in England and Wales last week, the average number of workers working from the office reached a national daily average of 31 per cent, the highest daily average recorded since the lifting of lockdown restrictions in May 2021, according to research by Remit Consulting.
The previous highest national average office occupancy rate, of 30.6 per cent, was recorded in June this year.
The management consultant’s ‘Return Report’, also revealed that the number of external visitors recorded as passing through office turnstiles was also significantly higher than the previous few weeks, suggesting that more business meetings were being held.
Lorna Landells of Remit Consulting commented: “The increase in the number of office workers being back at the desk reflects a similar increase at the same time last year, marking the start of a slow but sustained return to the workplace. This came to an end with the restrictions put in place in response to the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in December 2021.
“Since the restrictions were eased earlier in the year, the figures recovered but have fluctuated since, partly in response to economic headwinds, such as the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, industrial action, and extreme weather events. While the state funeral of Her Majesty the Queen will have a further impact on the figures, many will hope that the most recent data points towards a lasting return to the office.”
Remit Consulting’s data confirms the trend for busy Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays book-ended by weak Mondays and even weaker Fridays. This was again evident for the week ending 9th September, when the national daily average reached 35.9 per cent on Tuesday, 36.9 per cent on Wednesday and 36.4 per cent on Thursday. It was 26 per cent on Monday and just 19.8 per cent on Friday (9th).
In London, both the West End and Docklands markets experienced individual days when an average of around 50 per cent of all staff were in the office, with staff numbers at their desks peaking at an average of just over 40 per cent on Wednesday 7th in the City market.
While some personnel are finally returning to the office – the great majority of organisations (up to 83 per cent) anticipate a hybrid mix of on-premises and working from home to continue for the foreseeable future.
This means that when it comes to providing access to the workplace, where once it was simply enough to maintain a welcoming reception for visitors, organisations today must also keep a close eye on access permissions in real-time to keep buildings safe and secure while ensuring they comply with compliance.
Pitney Bowes Smart Access Management in association with FMJ has produced a new White Paper which explains how to create a welcoming, actively managed environment for authorised people.
It explains how new Smart Access Management™ (SAM) delivers a complete, real-time and data-driven view of all your people, visitors and contractors, to help give you greater control and visibility.
To download the white paper click here.
