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

GLOBAL AMERICAS APAC EMEA

WHAT’S THE CURRENT PLAN? Clearly there is no one-size-fits-all plan that has been adopted across the region. As highlighted above, markets are at very different stages in their return to work, so the timing of a fuller recovery will also vary. Markets across Greater China are largely already at full occupancy, while in North Asia, we continue to see numbers trend up. In Singapore, the situation is more reliant on governmental direction rather than employee choice, as XSF data shows that most employees would prefer to be in the What has been evidenced and corroborated around the world is that employees target dates to begin their return to office based upon external circumstances.

office most days, once the virus is under control. Given the government’s previous approach to loosening restrictions, the next step is likely to allow 75% office attendance, as previously seen in March of this year. However, the rise of the Delta variant and the Ministry’s subsequent policy tightening— disincentivizing office attendance through mandatory testing for most of the working population—suggests an increase to 75% is highly unlikely in the short term. What has been evidenced and corroborated around the world is that employees target dates to begin their return to office based upon external circumstances. In India, for example, the forthcoming festive season is expected to bring greater movement of people, which could also signal greater office attendance. In Australia, the end of the school summer holidays at the end of February in 2021 was a watershed period for greater numbers of employees to return to the office. With that and the current state of lockdowns, it is difficult to imagine any meaningful return to the office in Australia’s largest cities prior to the end of the year.

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