UK workers spend less time in the office than any other country, but still think it’s too much

Workers in the United Kingdom spend less time in the office than any other country, however they want to further reduce their days further. That is according to a new study from Unispace. The report, Returning for Good [registration], combines the results of a poll of 9,500 employees and 6,650 business leaders from 17 countries worldwide – found that just 34 percent of employees in the UK are in the office four or more days a week, less time than workers in any other country.

Despite these comparatively low attendance levels, employees want to reduce the number of days spent in the workplace even further, with just 21 percent of workers in the UK currently happy to spend four or more days per week in the office.

Hot-desking is prominent in the UK, with 56 percent of employees indicating their office is set up to work in this way, above the global average of 48 percent. Of those who do hot-desk, 76 percent would be more inclined to head into the office on a regular basis if they had an assigned desk.

The data did highlight a misalignment between employers and employees that suggests a lack of communication. Only 53 percent of UK workers expect to eventually be in the office at least four days a week, but employers are more likely to perceive that a return is on the cards, with 74 percent expecting this to happen in the near future.

While 75 percent of employers highlighted that career progression including pay rises, promotions and bonuses will be negatively impacted for hybrid workers, employees are less aware of this risk, with only 59 percent stating that they believe this to be the case.

Workers in the UK also recorded the lowest level of company loyalty (68 percent versus the global average of 77 percent), though this was also underestimated by employers, with 74 percent believing their employees were devoted to their organisation.