Part 1: Return to the Office Series - Predicting the Return to the Office

ASIA PACIFIC

Elsewhere the return has been slower and, in 2021, hampered by the rise of the Delta variant. While recent data from the Japan Productivity Centre points to rising office attendance in Tokyo, showing daily office attendance increasing to almost 25% as of June, 16 the government continues to request firms maintain a 70% work-from-home ratio. In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower is also still advocating that employers must ensure no more than 50% of employees who are able to work from home are at the workplace at any one point in time. 17 Similarly, government directives in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia only allow for occupancy of 50% to 60%. The situation is more nuanced in Australia where Sydney and Victoria are enduring further strict lockdowns, while Brisbane and Perth remain open, but with border restrictions limiting the movement of people domestically between all states. Accordingly, office attendance is above 70% of pre- pandemic levels in Brisbane and Perth, but is currently practically zero for Sydney and Melbourne, 18 even though both reached over 50% earlier this year. Likewise, in India,

OFFICE ATTENDANCE

September 2021 vs. Pre-pandemic Levels

Brisbane attendance +70% Sydney attendance ~0%

Perth attendance +70%

Melbourne attendance ~0%

government advice varies between locations. Currently, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune limit office occupancy to 50%. In contrast, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad do not have limits on employees in the office, though current office attendance is falling well below the 100%-mark. The primary reason for the gap is access to transportation—only essential workers and those who are fully vaccinated are currently allowed on public transport.

30