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Workers are returning to the UK’s flexible offices more slowly than in other European countries, new data shows.
Building occupancy in UK flexible offices is just 23%, according to survey data from Workthere, the flexible office advisory division of Savills. That compares to 35% in Spain, 43% in Ireland, 55% in Germany and 57% in the Netherlands. The survey looked at the proportion of people turning up to occupy their space up to mid-July.
The findings mirror data on the return to the office in the UK more generally. Analysis from Morgan Stanley showed 34% of British workers had returned to the office by the start of August, compared to an average of 68% in Continental Europe.
Workthere’s data showed the UK flexible office sector lagging European peers in other metrics. Almost a fifth (19%) of members had not renewed their contracts, the highest nonrenewal rate in Europe, ahead of Spain at 16%. In the Netherlands the figure is 8%.
Just over a third (35%) of members of UK flex office operators had asked for rent relief, lower than the 36% of members in Ireland and Spain, but higher than the 8% and 9% in Germany and the Netherlands, respectively.
But to some degree the UK is in better shape than European peers, because it started from a higher base. Even with its higher cancellation rate, the UK’s operators are expecting a contracted occupancy rate of 71% at the end of August — even if people aren’t coming in to the office, they are still paying their rent. That is the second-highest figure in Europe after the Netherlands at 74%.
And 88% of the UK operators surveyed by Workthere said they were feeling confident about the next 12 months, again behind only the Netherlands.
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