Employees are back, bosses say. In California? Not so much

"Even as bosses across the country report a jump in the number of people returning to the office, attendance in California remains less than half of what it used to be. A recent survey shows that managers' push to get workers back in the office is bearing fruit, but executives would still like to see people at their desks more often. A different dataset demonstrates that much of the lag is due to California."

"Companies are stepping up enforcement of their attendance policies even as many workers try to avoid the daily routine of commuting and clocking in, real estate brokerage CBRE found in a national survey of office tenants. Companies made "significant" progress in the last year in moving toward their office-attendance goals and enforcing their attendance policies, moving closer to cementing their long-term work guidelines than at any time since the COVID-19 pandemic, CBRE said."

National surveys and key-card data show divergent office-return patterns, with overall progress nationally but persistent lag in California. A CBRE national survey reports that companies increased enforcement of attendance policies and moved toward attendance goals, with 72% meeting targets, up from 61% the prior year, and firms establishing a new baseline after five years of hybrid work. Kastle Systems key-card swipe data indicate Los Angeles and San Francisco have some of the lowest office visitation rates in the country. Entertainment and technology sectors dominate those regional workforces, and longer commutes in Los Angeles contribute to managerial flexibility on remote work.

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