Savills has examined both employee-driven and occupier/employer-driven factors to assess which global cities may see a faster transition to hybrid working post-Covid-19.  From an office occupier perspective, New York, Paris, London, Berlin and Frankfurt may be primed for a faster transition to hybrid working, given comparatively high office costs, already flexible working practices, and extended lockdowns, while less flexible working cultures in Mumbai, Shanghai, and Ho Chi Minh City mean that any transition to hybrid working may be slower.

As part of its 2021 global Impacts research program, the international real estate advisor looked at metrics such as the size of people’s homes, broadband speeds, and commute times, alongside employer/occupier-focused factors, such as the cost and efficiency of offices, workplace culture, and lease lengths to grade cities on their possible speed of migration to hybrid working. 

According to the report, Warsaw, the largest office market in Poland, positions roughly in the middle of the ranking. Factors that favor companies’ faster transition to the hybrid model include the length of standard lease terms and a certain degree of flexibility that was slowly implemented by companies even before the pandemic. On the other hand, factors that are slowing the transition process are internet speed in some locations and rental level, which is still competitive with Western Europe and creates conditions for all employees to be provided with a physical/traditional workspace in the office. 

“Remote work, especially in the home edition, is associated with numerous challenges. Many people, when arranging their homes, did not arrange a place to work, especially one that is suitable for working full-time for a long time. The introduction of a hybrid work model is a process whose pace will vary depending on the country and the specificity of the industry in which a given company operates. Many employers in Poland have not yet decided how they want their work model to look after the pandemic,” Jarosław Pilch, Head of Tenant Representation, office Agency, Savills Poland, said.

(WBJ)