Los Angeles office employees are favoring early work weeks

• Avison Young's innovative Office Busyness Index reveals that companies in Los Angeles are increasingly reevaluating fully remote work environments and pushing for stronger return-to-office mandates. Many have adopted hybrid work policies requiring 3-4 days of in-office attendance. Data indicates that employees are more inclined to work in the office earlier in the week, leading to a significant increase in office activity from Monday to Wednesday. Specifically, Los Angeles offices have seen a year-over-year increase in busyness by 27.5%, 12.5%, and 0.9% on these days, respectively.

• Data also shows a decline in office activity on Thursdays and Fridays, as more employees choose to work remotely, aiming to reduce commuting stress and focus on lighter tasks, which contributes to a better work-life balance. This trend is observed nationally, with office attendance dropping by 9.4% on Thursdays and 13.4% on Fridays, as employees opt to front-load their workweeks in anticipation of starting the weekend sooner. The upward trend in overall office activity is a positive indicator that more employees are returning to the office. This trend is expected to continue, as it aligns with the work-life balance that employees seek, making them more receptive to return-to-office mandates.

• In-person work environments are viewed by companies as essential for boosting productivity, fostering collaboration, and strengthening company culture—all crucial for learning and teamwork. While fully remote work offers flexibility and reduces commuting costs, businesses believe that maintaining some level of office presence is critical for building relationships and sustaining long-term productivity. These considerations have driven the shift back to the office, with weekly office attendance up by over 4.0% from June 2023 to June 2024.

Click here to view Avison Young's Office Busyness Index