U.S. Work from Home Survey 2020

The lessons learned from the experience of working from home during COVID-19 offer an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the future of the physical workplace. Only one in ten U.S. office workers had worked from home regularly before this experience, and less than a third had the choice to work from home. While many of the effects of COVID-19 on the workplace are still unfolding, some points are emerging clearly from our data: 1) Most workers want to come back to the office. 2) Workers expect crucial changes to the workplace before they’re comfortable returning. The changes that will make people comfortable coming back to the office also offer an opportunity to address problems that already existed in the physical workplace, from issues with noise and density, to challenges related to mobility and unassigned seating. The preference for working in the office is consistent with Gensler’s workplace research data collected regularly since 2005. Workers with choice in where to work prior to COVID-19 spent 72% of their average work week in the office compared to only 12% working from home, overwhelmingly choosing the office as their preferred place to work.