More Americans at the office Monday through Friday, data suggests

There are also signs that the 5-a-day office lifestyle may be making a comeback – albeit gradually.

“While hybrid working has taken root, in 2024 it is gradually looking more and more like a 5-day work week, with increased attendance on Mondays and Fridays compared to 2023 (although still relatively light on those days compared to 2019),” Grundy added.

The report found increases in office attendance for each day of the work week in the first half of 2024 compared to last year. Fridays remain the least popular, while the three days in between are the most popular.

Bevi’s data suggests that Tuesday is the most common day of the week that workers come.

Bevi expects office participation rates to reach 69% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024.

Office attendance increased in four of the five industries tracked by Bevi, with “Arts, Entertainment and Recreation” the only group to hold steady from last year’s figures. The tech industry saw the largest increase in office attendance over the past year, at 11%.

The company also found that the traditional 9-to-5 workday is changing, likely as a result of greater flexibility in how workers organize their schedules thanks to remote and hybrid work.

In 2019, before the pandemic boosted remote work and subsequently hybrid work on a large scale, Bevi observed that 87% of office attendance occurred during standard 9-to-5 working hours, while 13% they checked in outside of the traditional business day or sometime between 5:00 p.m. and 9 in the morning. So far this year, 9-to-5 participation has dropped to 80 percent, while off-peak participation has risen to 20 percent.

Looking at specific cities, Los Angeles leads the charge in returning to the office, according to Bevi’s data. One reason, of course, is California’s hybrid work policy that requires state employees to come into the office at least two days a week.

Although office attendance is increasing, we may still be some way from a full return to 5 days in the office. A recent report by the UK think-tank Center for Cities found that in Paris, the leading financial center in RTO, workers spend an average of 3.5 days a week at the office.

Meanwhile, some companies are doubling down on their RTO policies. Dell, for example, told staff earlier this year that workers who choose to telecommute won’t be eligible for promotions.

Meanwhile, some workers trying to avoid back-to-the-office mandates are turning to tactics like “quiet hybrid” work hours to capitalize on the flexibility of middle managers who are willing to let their reports continue to work remotely despite directives at the company level. .