The Swedish Property Federation, Fastighetsägarna, representing nearly 15,000 property owners, commissioned an extensive survey in the Stockholm area in June-August. The survey was answered by 1,000 respondents who were aged 25-65 and working in various office positions.
The study was published on August 25, 2021 under the name Kontoret, Hemmet & jag. The insights from the Stockholm study are most likely quite relevant also in Helsinki and other larger cities in Finland.
About 75% of the respondents still had positive feelings about working in the office, all week or at least some days each week. Only 13% wanted to work entirely from home. There were hardly any differences between age groups, but there were somewhat more women in the latter group that preferred working from home.
What happens after the pandemic?
While 88% of the respondents were in the office daily before the pandemic, only 38% believe they will work the same way after the pandemic. The majority, i.e. 56% of the respondents, believe that in the future they will work both in the office and at home during a typical working week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were ranked as the best weekdays for working at the office, while Friday was by far the most popular day for working remotely.
What is expected from the employers?
As many as 60% considered the possibility of at least partially working from home as a condition for choosing an employer and a job. Nevertheless, the office space, working atmosphere and location have still not lost their relevance. Up to half of the respondents could not imagine signing an employment contract before seeing their future work environment.
Expectations regarding employers’ telework policies were quite contradictory. Three out of four respondents wanted clear instructions from the workplace regarding teleworking. On the other hand, 70% of respondents felt that each employee should be free to decide whether he or she works best at home or in the office.
Positive office features, top 10
Respondents were also asked what factors would increase their willingness to work more in the office.
| 1. it is easy to get to the office and back home | 68 % | |
| 2. good working tools and technical support | 47 % | |
| 3. nice and friendly atmosphere | 47 % | |
| 4. the office also has space for socializing | 34 % | |
| 5. private working room | 33 % | |
| 6. enough space to focus on work | 31 % | |
| 7. the office is located in a nice area | 30 % | |
| 8. facilities and equipment for remote meetings | 30 % | |
| 9. there are good places to eat nearby | 28 % | |
| 10. it is easy park | 27 % | |
