How Are Those Return to Office Mandates Working Out?

Back to the office has become a growing chorus from employers in different industries for a host of reasons: Higher productivity, greater innovative thinking—two heads—or 50—are better than one—and even an enhanced healthfulness, according to some.

But how well is this new trend working? Placer.ai’s Nationwide Office Building Index recently looked at 800 office buildings. The results in its June 2023 recap don’t reflect a roaring rush back, based on data from the first five months of the year. Numbers were more than the majority at 60% of pre-pandemic levels but that still means many aren’t returning.

Indeed, in a separate measure that uses different criteria, Kastle Systems is reporting that office attendance has once again dipped below the 50% mark across 10 major US cities in recent weeks, despite the mandates. 

However, Placer.ai’s results represent a mixed bag. For instance, it found that even workers who go into the office stay less than they did four years ago. But foot traffic to offices have reached their highest level since before COVID-19.

Regional Differences 

Numbers vary widely with tech-centric San Francisco behind other cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami, which are among the more populated office locales. But overall, all the cities studied reflected greater recovery this past June than on average during the first half of the year. Some cities are worth noting for their differences. Denver and Miami’s June 2023 numbers posted the smallest visit gap compared to four years ago. In SF, the visit gap shrunk 55% versus four years ago for the first time to 51.5%.