Nearly half of office workers admit they are less productive when working from home

Some 44% of desk-based workers admit they are less productive at home, according to a poll of more than 1,800 office employees.

The poll, commissioned by real estate investment firm Castleforge, also found that a third (35%) of respondents feel socially isolated when working from home.

More than half (55%) believe they will have greater opportunities for promotion and career development if they work in the office. This figure reaches 63% amongst 18-24 year olds.

But the research also shows workers need to be motivated back into offices, with 52 per cent of respondents, and 69% of 18-24s, saying the quality of an office environment is a key factor for them when deciding to take a job.

The news comes as big tech companies  mandate their employees to come back into the office, offering a varied combination of incentives and penalties to bring them back. Amenities are key to the incentives, with some companies even offering on-site hotel rooms.

Castleforge believes the research reinforces a trend toward collaboration in-person becoming the norm once again.  Companies will seek out top-quality headquarters offices with a diversity of amenities, and flexible office arrangements that provide a “hotel-like” experience for their employees, they say.

Castleforge Founding Partner Michael Kovacs said, “With employees having previously enjoyed short commutes from their beds to their desks and dining tables, tempting employees to leave their sofas behind multiple times a week is a challenge.  But our research shows workers are more productive if they do.

“That means employers are increasingly looking to offices that feel more like hotels, with really high-quality amenities. Luxury showers, gym equipment, events and fancy coffee machines for employees are all a must nowadays.

“In the case of flexible offices, the employers themselves can act like hotel guests too, benefiting from flexible contracts so they can come and go as they please, and scale the space they need with ease.”

Castleforge is a London-based property investor that has invested more than £1 billion since it was founded in 2010. It has made substantial investment into offices in the UK and northern Europe. It also owns a flexible workspace brand, ‘Clockwise’, which operates in a number of its offices.

Earlier this year, the firm also announced its acquisition of Deutsche Bank’s London headquarters, Winchester House, as a in one of the most significant commercial deals in the City since the pandemic.