Current Events July 10, 2025

Hybrid Work Post-Covid // The Return-to-Office Reality 2025

By Yahya El Iraki
Hybrid work post Covid

Hybrid Work Post Covid: Office Occupancy Insights and Strategy

Despite a steady return to the office since 2020, most workplaces remain strikingly underused. On a typical day, far too many desks are sitting empty. Industry benchmarks from 2023 revealed that average peak utilization in U.S. offices hovered around 27%—meaning that even at the busiest moment of the day, nearly three-quarters of the workspace was unoccupied.

This trend isn’t limited to North America. Organizations across the globe are grappling with similar patterns. While many have downsized or redesigned their spaces to accommodate hybrid work, attendance still falls well below pre-pandemic norms. Tuesdays and Wednesdays now mark the high points of the week, while Fridays—particularly in December—often bottom out around 20% occupancy. This “Friday fade” is becoming a structural reality in the hybrid era.

Mandates vs. Movement: RTO Policies Aren’t Matching Reality

To reverse the decline in attendance, many companies introduced return-to-office (RTO) mandates. These policies commonly ask employees to be on-site for 2–3 days per week. According to recent surveys, the average mandated presence in 2025 is approximately 2.8 days.

But here’s the catch: compliance isn’t keeping pace with policy. Employees may be asked to come in, but occupancy data shows that many simply aren’t. Even when a 3-day in-office schedule is declared, attendance often concentrates mid-week and fades on Mondays and Fridays. Employees cite better focus at home, long commutes, or family obligations as reasons to skip the office. Which are reasonable motivations, since flexibility is often making the difference between a satisfied employee and a frustrated one.

This disconnect is pushing leadership teams to rethink RTO enforcement. Some firms are experimenting with incentives, like catered lunches or social events, while others are turning to performance-based accountability or personalized reporting to close the compliance gap.

New Hybrid Work Habits Are Here to Stay

After three years of hybrid work becoming the norm, employees have built new routines that are proving remarkably consistent:

Mid-Week Peaks

At our MySeat client sites, we consistently observe that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays drive the highest occupancy. Wednesday often stands out as the peak day, while Friday levels are dramatically lower. So what shall we do with empty offices for those new 4-day weekends?

Staggered Attendance

Without structured “anchor days” within teams or business units, hybrid flexibility can scatter attendance. Some teams opt to coordinate their office presence, which creates livelier, more collaborative environments. Without team coordination, desks remain either highly unused or extremely saturated. 

Collaboration Over Solo Work

Many occupants come to the office not for heads-down work, but to connect. Small meeting rooms, project tables, and casual collaboration zones are in high demand. Long rows of unused desks? Not so much. 

The “Novelty” Effect Fizzles Fast

When RTO mandates are introduced, week one often sees an attendance bump. But within a few weeks, the excitement wears off and usage tapers. Sustainable attendance requires ongoing effort, feedback loops, and meaningful in-office experiences—not just mandates.

What This Means for Workplace Strategy

The hybrid reality calls for a fundamental shift in how we manage office space.
Here’s what decision-makers can do:

Optimize Space for Actual Use

With average daily utilization below 30%, traditional desk layouts are outdated. Convert underused areas into:

  • Team lounges
  • Project zones
  • Creative corners
  • Quiet booths for hybrid meetings

Need help diagnosing what to transform? Our occupancy analytics technology can reveal real-time and historical usage patterns. 

Embrace Flexibility, Strategically

Hybrid is not a trend—it’s the new baseline. Forcing five days in-office is rarely effective and often leads to disengagement or turnover. A smarter approach supports flexibility while redesigning offices around collaboration, not presence.

Let Data Drive Your Policy

If occupancy data shows Friday usage at 12%, forcing Friday attendance is likely to backfire. Instead, use occupancy insights to define smart “anchor days” and identify which teams thrive best in-office.

MySeat’s dashboard lets you filter space usage by date, department, or floor—so your policies can reflect reality, not assumptions.

Right-Size Services and Resources

Daily headcount fluctuates. That means support services should scale too:

  • Boost cleaning and catering mid-week
  • Cut back on slow days
  • Schedule events on anchor days

This approach improves efficiency without sacrificing experience.

Communicate the Office’s Value

Don’t just enforce presence—build purpose. Use internal communication to highlight:

  • Collaboration wins
  • Upgraded office features
  • Weekly activity calendars

Show employees what they gain by coming in, not just what they’re required to do.

Real Data = Real Results

At MySeat, we’ve helped organizations reduce wasted space, improve in-office collaboration, and increase employee satisfaction—all by basing decisions on hard data, not hunches. 

Whether your goal is to reduce real estate costs or revitalize your workplace culture, it starts with seeing the full picture.

Read more on our Solutions page or explore how Ubisoft adapted their workplace strategy using occupancy data.
Further reading : 

  • Flex Index – 2025 policy trends and hybrid norms

Final Thought:

Stop Guessing and Start Knowing.

The hybrid office is not going away. Instead of fighting new behaviors, the most successful companies adapt. By embracing flexibility and leveraging real-time data, you can turn your office into a purposeful destination—not an obligation.

Want to see how your office measures up? 

Start with a free hybrid workplace consultation. Let’s make every square foot count.