The new year could bring more return-to-office mandates

"There was a survey of business leaders nationally in October. Thirteen percent indicated that they intended to have workers back in the office more days next year, just 5% saying fewer. So that sort of indicates that this trend is continuing. You've seen a number of companies in recent weeks ratchet up the number of days that workers are supposed to be in the office. Truist, locally, they're going back five days a week starting in January."

"That's a good question. The answer is 'yes,' a lot, at least in Charlotte, have reconfigured those spaces. They have hot desks, where you don't have your own cubicle or your own office. You sort of share them or jockey for them with coworkers. So if there are going to be people back five days a week that are now back three days a week, they might need more desks, they might need more space. That is potentially a limiting factor."

Recent survey data and corporate moves show a trend toward increasing in-office work days next year. Thirteen percent of business leaders indicated plans to have workers in the office more days, while only 5% planned fewer days. Several firms, including local Truist and national companies, are moving toward five-day in-office schedules. Many workplaces reconfigured and downsized during the pandemic and adopted hot-desk systems without assigned cubicles. If more employees return five days a week, demand for desks and office space could rise, creating potential capacity constraints and logistical challenges.

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