New study shows:

Use of home office is declining significantly

(Bild: Alberto Grosescu - stock.adobe.com)

The use of working from home has declined significantly in the last two years, a new study shows. While 82% of employees with office jobs still regularly worked from home in 2022, this figure had fallen to just 65% by 2024. One in ten managing directors are calling for an end to remote working.

A study by Deloitte Austria, in collaboration with the University of Vienna and the University of Graz, examined the spread of flexible working models. In 2022, at least half of the employees in 90 percent of the companies surveyed would have had the option of working from home. By 2024, only 73 percent would still be doing so.

Productivity not demonstrably lower when working from home 
Executives were particularly skeptical: almost a quarter of employees would like to see more working from home, while a quarter of executives consider the current extent to be excessive. Over a third of these managers are even calling for remote working to be largely discontinued, even though productivity is not demonstrably lower when working from home.

"A considerable proportion of managers continue to fear that working time in the home office will be used for private purposes," explains Bettina Kubicek, Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Graz. "Although there may be such cases, studies show that these concerns are largely unfounded." 44 percent of managers rate the effects of working from home on productivity and performance as positive, 47 percent cannot see any difference between working from home and the office. 76 percent of employees believe they are more productive and efficient at home.

Expert: Innovative working models should take priority
Alternative working models such as workation or the 4-day week were rejected by companies. Around 50 percent of employees are not allowed to work remotely and only five percent of companies are actively considering the four-day week, although 45 percent of applicants have higher expectations of this model. Christian Korunka, Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Vienna, warns: "Companies cannot afford to ignore the needs of their employees with regard to flexible working models. To remain competitive, innovative working models should be a priority."