CURRENT
60%
Have a policy today
Future Of Work — 2026 Outlook
Beyond the Noise : is hybrid reaching its equilibrium?
CONTEXT
Press narrative is strongly biased towards the end of remote working… Where is reality?
Despite widespread media coverage of return-to-office mandates, our findings show that the reported policy changes remain relatively modest. The reality is far more nuanced than the headlines suggest.
US Companies
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Less
Status Quo
More office presence
Europe Companies
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Share of press articles (analysed in November 2025) across the US and Europe announcing more office presence required from employers, less office presence required, or no change.
executive summary
Despite negative press headwinds, hybrid work has entered a period of stability. In our 5th annual survey, we engaged over 150 organisations representing c. 3.4m employees across the US and Europe to understand the evolving landscape of hybrid work and its implications for recruitment, workplace strategies, and real estate decisions. While headlines point to aggressive return-to-office mandates, our findings show actual change has been modest – policies have stabilised, attendance has plateaued, and organisations are now translating these settled patterns into concrete real estate decisions. At Urbanite Advisors, we believe organisations have a duty to act on this office surplus, not only for their own efficiency but as a contribution to easing the wider housing crisis. The themes below summarise our key findings.
Hybrid has stabilised
Organisations are no longer redesigning workplace policies. 80% consider having stablised/consolidated remote working policies. The next challenge is about the enforcement of these policies.
Attendance has reached a natural ceiling
Actual attendance remains largely unchanged at c. 40% despite stricter mandates. A necessary footprint optimisation is now expected from many organisations.
Real-estate portfolios are adjusting
Confidence in long-term workplace patterns is accelerating portfolio optimisation, especially from US companies.
Location remains the key driver
Central and vibrant locations will survive. Everything else will need to be rethink, reconverted.
RESPONDENTS
The study is supported by real estate strategies from over 150 firms employing c. 3.4m people
Profile of companies responding
- Financial Services
- Business Services
- FMCG
- Law
- Life Sciences
- Industrial
- Public Sector
- Real Estate & Construction
- TMT
Companies are feeling confident with their hybrid work strategies
After several years of policy experimentation, c. 80% of respondents consider having a remote policy "Consolidated", "Fully Integrated" or "Stabilized". It is clear that organisations have reached stable policies balancing balance between flexibility and office presence. Remote working allowances remain broadly unchanged and closely aligned with employee expectations.
Hybrid policy
Companies are increasingly adjusting their workplace policies to align with employee preferences, reinforcing a now-stabilized trend toward greater flexibility and remote work allowances averaging 2.7 days per week. It is also true that some employers are requiring full-time office attendance, counterbalanced by an increase in organizations offering fully remote work options.
Remote Working Allowance
Remote working allowance evolution
(days / week).
- 1 day
- 2 days
- 3 days
- 4 days
- 5 days
Hybrid at equilibrium: aligning policy with employee preference
Companies are increasingly adjusting their workplace policies to align with employee preferences, reinforcing a now-stabilized trend toward greater flexibility and remote work allowances averaging 2.7 days per week. It is also true that some employers are requiring full-time office attendance, counterbalanced by an increase in organizations offering fully remote work options.
Office presence reaches its maturity across most sectors
While organisations continue to increase attendance requirements, actual employee behaviour remains remarkably consistent. Across most sectors, attendance appears to have reached a natural equilibrium of approximately two to three days per week.
DESK SHARING POLICY
Stagnating low attendance rates pushes more aggressive desk -sharing policies
As attendance stabilises at c. 40%, organisations continue to optimise workplace utilisation through desk-sharing. Adoption is becoming increasingly common across all company sizes and business sectors.
Companies with a desk sharing ratio
FUTURE
68%
Will have a policyin place
Average desk -sharing by company size by FTE
< 15,000
0.73
>15,000
0.56
Companies are ready to “right-size” around their (somewhat) stabilized outlook
Greater confidence in policies is translating into real-estate decisions. Most occupiers are continuing and increasing the right-sizing of their office portfolios.
WORKPLACE RIGIDITY INDEX
Remote allowances slightly increase besides tightening policies
Workplace
Rigidity Index
0-100
Our index is composed of four elements
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Number of days required in the office
Enforcing the return-to-office
Work from a different country temporarily
Work from a different country permanently
Market average insights
2026
2.3
2025
2.4
57%
41%
28%
27%
4%
4%
Business Services and TMT rank lowest on rigidity; FMCG most rigid
Industry differences persist by industry
place of work
Flexibility to choose your work location is a key recruitment and retention factor
Workplace flexibility increasingly extends beyond home and office. Organisations are expanding access to coworking spaces, regional offices and temporary international working arrangements to improve talent attraction and retention.
39%
Assigned office or home location only
44%
Other existing offices within the portfolio
32%
Coworking and other flex spaces
28%
Different country
temporarily
4%
Different country
permanently
Public transport connectivity and urban vibrancy lead office location desirability
Accessibility remains the dominant factor in office location strategy. Public transport connectivity, urban vibrancy and talent attraction are the main location criteria. Our in-house Office Vibrancy Index (c) help occupiers assess the vibrancy of any neighborhood and building in the world.
Top Office Location Drivers (% of Respondents)
#1: Public Transit
57%
#4: Established Business District
28%
#2: Urban Environment
39%
#5: Client /Partner Locations
26%
#3: Appealing to Talent
32%
#6: Research /Universities
11%
Top Office Location Drivers (% of Respondents)
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ESG certificates and low - carbon commutes are more factored in by EU - headquartered firms
ESG considerations (Europe vs. North American headquartered companies)
Environmental
certifications?
Policy to favor lowemission commutes?
Measuring Scope 3 emissions?
Access for people with impairments critical?
EU HQ
North
America
HQ
Flexible space, premium amenities, and hospitality-led services
Occupiers increasingly prioritise workplace experience over square footage. Flexible environments, quality amenities and hospitality-led services have become important differentiators in attracting employees back to the office.
Landlord-offered Spaces
Operated meeting & event spaces
Provision of Flex / Cowork
Move-in / Furnished spaces
Building Design, Amenities
and Characteristics
F&B quality and variety
Green spaces, terraces, rooftop
Fitness / Gym
Building Services
Manned reception
Networking / Community events
Internal mobility solution
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