Global Workplace Assessment

We surveyed desk-based employees from 9 countries. Here’s what we learned.

Key takeaway 01

Offices are back – but flexibility is here to stay

49% of respondents work for companies with fully in-office policies. 37.4% of respondents work for companies with hybrid location policies.* 13.6% of respondents work for companies with fully remote policies.

*This group still spends almost half its time in the office every week.

Key takeaway 02

Most fully remote companies operate in 3 countries

While the fewest respondents globally work for companies with fully remote location policies (just 13.6%), these companies are most likely to be headquartered in Canada, the UK, or the US.

Key takeaway 03

Long commutes don’t keep people away from offices

Length of commute is not a significant factor for how many days per week respondents spend in the office under hybrid location policies. Employees who live more than 60 minutes from their office only spend slightly less time there (2.25 days/week on average) than those who live within 15 minutes of their office (2.59 days/week on average).

Key takeaway 04

Location policies vary by industry

Industries most likely to adopt fully in-office policies include Healthcare and Social Assistance (57.3%), Retail (59.5%), and Manufacturing (59.2%). Industries most likely to adopt fully remote or flexible location policies include Professional Services (66.6%), Finance and Insurance (64.2%), and Information Services (54.6%).

Methodology

Behind the numbers

The MillerKnoll Global Workplace Assessment surveyed 4,815 desk-based employees in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US. Surveys were conducted 2-22 August 2023. Participants rated their current workplaces across a range of factors using a 5-point scale.

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