The CBRE New Zealand Office Occupier 2024 indicates that 91% of organisations endorse hybrid working, a decrease from last year’s figure of 94%.
In Auckland, individuals reported a more favourable influence of hybrid workspaces on workplace culture compared to those in Christchurch, where 39% of the participants indicate a neutral effect.
Approximately 63% of the survey respondents also believe that hybrid working has positively influenced their workplace culture, and their primary motivation for maintaining ‘in-office’ days is to strengthen that culture.
Nowadays, an average of 3.3 days are spent working from the office each week, an increase from last year’s average of 3.2 days.
While being receptive to adopting more flexible work styles and structures, Kiwis prefer to be at the same desk when working in the office. According to the survey, 45% of organisations have all of their desks and workstations designated for specific employees, while only 22% utilise a system where all desks are unassigned.
“There are, however, significant differences across industries. In the accounting sector, 20% of survey participants assign desks to individuals, with the balance being an even mix between companies where no one has an assigned desk to companies who mix assigned and unassigned based on and employees role. At the other end of the scale, in the legal sector, 88% of respondents operate with all employees having a desk assigned,” the report said.
Many respondents have also deemed it essential to have an office located near public transportation. Access to public transport was a key location criteria and was prioritised highly in Wellington and Auckland, but it was much less important in Christchurch.
While hybrid working benefits employees, it poses challenges for urban economies that rely on the vibrancy of city centres. Separate reports and articles indicate calls from some Wellington businesses for the government to stop working from home.
The reduction in daily commuters has led to decreased foot traffic, impacting local businesses that thrive on office worker patronage. As fewer employees travel to downtown areas, cities face declining revenues from commercial property taxes and reduced economic activity.
