More than 43% of close to 500 surveyed employees mentioned that they have worked mainly from the office in the first semester, compared to 36% between May and December 2020, and 29% during March-May 2020 (lockdown period), respectively. 

Asked about their preferred workspace, only 10% of the employees said they want to work exclusively from home. Over a quarter of those interviewed would like to work 3 days from the office and 2 days from home, while 17% want to work only from the office. 

The respondents pointed out that saving time spent in traffic is the main advantage of working from home, while the main disadvantage is the lack of direct socialization with colleagues. If going to the office, the commute time is seen as a disadvantage, while improved communication with colleagues is a benefit. 

“Although there is more interest among employees to return to the office, even in a hybrid model, it is still difficult to predict the extent to which the offices will be occupied after the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to mention that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not applicable in this case, as companies and employees have different strategies and needs,” said Vlad Săftoiu, Research Analyst, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. 

The survey further shows that 95% of the respondents stated that they worked well and very well from home, while 86% pointed out that working from the office was good and very good. 

The study was conducted in Bucharest and in the main regional cities during July, covering employees from more than 10 industries, including IT, finance, production, professional or public services.

Across Europe, 40% of employees were in offices as of September. The biggest share was in Prague with 80%, while Hamburg and Warsaw offices had usage rates of 60% and 45%, respectively.