After years of enjoying the comforts of working from home, a recent study shows that more employees are now starting their work weeks in the office. The research, conducted by the renowned water cooler company Bevi, reveals that the workweek is slowly reverting to how it looked before the pandemic.
CEO of Bevi, Sean Grundy, states in the report, “Although hybrid work has taken root, in 2024 it is gradually resembling more and more of a 5-day work week, with attendance increasing on Mondays and Fridays relative to 2023.” He further notes that office attendance on Mondays has seen an 8% increase from the previous year, reaching 58% of pre-pandemic levels.
Fridays, on the other hand, are also witnessing a rise in office numbers, reaching 47% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 44%. However, it remains the least busy day of the week. The middle of the week, from Tuesday to Thursday, is nearly back to normal, with offices at almost 75% of their pre-pandemic capacity.
The world’s largest food catering firm, Compass Group, also reported a significant increase in revenues and profit, thanks to workers returning to the office (and buying lunch on site) on Mondays. However, it’s worth noting that Fridays continue to lag behind the first four days of the week.
The Traditional 9-5 Workday is a Thing of the Past
Despite an increase in in-office attendance, the traditional 9-5 workday appears to be fading away. Bevi’s report shows that employees are still commuting fewer days per week than they were before the pandemic. Moreover, when they do go into the office, they work longer and fewer standard hours.
In 2019, 87% of office attendance was recorded during the standard 9-to-5 work hours, while 13% was registered outside the traditional workday. However, this year has witnessed a drop in 9-to-5 attendance to 80%, while off-peak attendance has risen to 20%.
Mondays are Becoming Mandatory
The increase in office attendance on Mondays aligns with businesses becoming more specific about the days they require their employees in the office. Some influential companies are using their hybrid policy to prevent long weekends at home.
L’Oréal, for instance, has shifted its mandate and now requires its 88,000-strong workforce to be in the office on Fridays instead of Wednesdays. Publicis Groupe, the world’s third-largest advertising and PR company, mandated Mondays in the office last year. Similarly, Deutsche Bank has prohibited staff from working at home on Fridays and Mondays to “spread our presence more evenly across the week.”
It remains to be seen whether this shift to a more traditional workweek will continue to gain traction or if employees will push back, seeking a return to the flexibility they’ve gotten accustomed to over the past few years.
