39% of workers mandated to attend the office 5 days a week, up from 19% last year

5 days a week is the most popular mandated number of days for staff to attend the office, compared to 4 days a week last year.

21% of workers are unsatisfied with the number of days they are mandated to attend the office.

Better collaboration and teamwork (53%) is cited as the most positive impact of in-office work, while increased costs for commuting and lunch (48%) is cited on having the most negative impact on jobs.

Sydney, 10 July 2024 – As employers attempt to restore pre-pandemic office attendance levels, almost four in ten (39%) Australian workers say they are mandated to attend the office full-time, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half finds.

While the number of companies mandating their staff to attend the office is on par with last year, 86% in 2024 versus 87% in 2023, the number of days has increased with 39% of workers expected to be in the office full-time. This is a significant jump from 2023, where 19% of business leaders stated they had implemented full-time office attendance.

Only 14% of workers say they have total flexibility in 2024, in line with 13% of employers who said they didn’t have in-office requirements in 2023.

Number of days workers must attend the office	2024	2023
5 days a week	39%	19%
4 days a week	12%	28%
3 days a week	17%	26%
2 days a week	14%	12%
1 day a week	4%	2%
No mandate and complete flexibility	14%	13%

Source: Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 1,000 Australian workers in June 2024 and 300 Australian employers in June 2023.

Positive response from workers on in-office mandates

Australian workers have accepted that in-office days are necessary for their employee experience. The majority (79%) of workers say they are satisfied with the number of days required of them to go in, while 21% say they are unsatisfied.

However, the higher the number of mandated in-office days, the higher the level of staff dissatisfaction. Australian workers who attend the office four or five days a week are the most unsatisfied, with 23% of them respectively saying they are unsatisfied with their mandate. This number drops to 8% and 15% for those workers who are asked to work in the office one or two days a week respectively.

The good and the bad

Even though most office workers are satisfied with their in-office requirements, workers are in two minds about the impact working in the office has on their job.

More than nine in 10 (91%) office workers recognise the positive impact of working from the office. The positive impacts cited by workers include:

Better collaboration and teamwork (53%)

Better communication and relationship building (51%)

Improved company culture and belonging (38%)

Access to resources and support (38%)

Only 9% of workers say there are no positive impacts.

At the same time, 84% of staff also identify negative impacts of in-office work with the most common reasons being:

Increased costs (e.g., commute, lunch, etc.) (48%)

Challenges to manage healthy work-life balance (e.g., commute) (37%)

Lack of flexibility in work schedule (34%)

Increased stress (31%)

Only 16% of workers say there are no negative impacts.

"The pendulum is swinging back to pre-pandemic levels where working-from-home was an anomaly rather than an expectation. Staff are attending the office more than they have since the pandemic as many employers have taken the opportunity of a job market with less candidate leverage to request their employees to come back to the office," says Andrew Brushfield, Director at Robert Half.

“In the current workplace landscape where flexibility is the new high-level currency for many employees, not everyone is pleased with this change of direction away from remote and hybrid work.

“Mandated office days can be a double-edged sword for workers. While they foster collaboration and connection, they can also lead to resentment and disengagement if not implemented and justified thoughtfully. Even with staff coming to terms with attending the office more frequently, the key for employers is to create an environment that highlights the positives of in-office work and sparks joy, not dread,” concludes Brushfield.

RobertHalf-AU-officemandates-July.pdf

About the research

The study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted online by an independent research company, surveying 1,000 full-time office workers in June 2024 and 300 hiring managers in June 2023 from companies across Australia. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management and trends in the workplace.      

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm. Robert Half Australia has offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Mount Waverley, Perth, and Sydney. More information on roberthalf.com.au.   

For more information    

Courtney Fletcher

PR Manager

[email protected]

+61 421 209 304