THE END OF THE TRADITIONAL 9-5?

More than two-thirds of global employees work remotely every week, and over 50 percent do so for at least half of the week, heralding a major reassessment of corporate real estate, according to a new global study.

IWG, the parent group of leading workspace companies including Regus and Spaces, said that based on its Flexible Working Survey, the emergence of this mobile workforce has been driven by technological change, globalization and changes in employee expectations.

The IWG study was based based on the insights of over 18,000 business people across 96 companies. Respondents were canvassed online in January 2018.

Results from the the IWG Flexible Working Survey found that every week 70 percent of employees are working at least one day a week somewhere other than the office. More than half (53 percent) work remotely for half of the week or more, while more than one in 10 (11 percent) work outside of their company’s main office location five times a week.

“People from Seattle to Singapore, Philippines to Vietnam no longer need to spend so much time in a particular office,” said IWG founder and CEO Mark Dixon. “We are entering the era of the mobile workforce and it is hugely exciting. Not just for individual employees, but for businesses too. This is a huge shift in the workspace landscape globally, and businesses are now looking closely at what this means for their corporate real estate portfolios.”

In the Philippines, the study by IWG also found that businesses recognized that offering flexible working strategies to employees provided them with significant benefits.

For generations, the world understood office-based work to involve fixed location and a 9-5 time schedule. But more businesses are now adopting a different working model.

In the Philippines, 80 percent of those surveyed said providing access to flexible workspace helps them attract more talent, while 82 percent agreed that remote working locations help employees achieve a better work-life balance, demonstrating the need for businesses to provide environments suited to today’s employees.

The benefits for businesses are clear: a resounding 93 percent said flexible workspaces enable employees to be more productive while on the move.

The survey showed also that flexible working and the use of shared workspaces are no longer the preserve of start-ups.

Lars Wittig, IWG country manager for Regus and Spaces in the Philippines, said: “New technologies mean many of us can now work anytime, anywhere. The challenge for businesses is how to optimize this new landscape. Companies are realizing the benefits of flexible working and its ability to increase pro- ductivity, job satisfaction and business performance.”

Mr. Wittig added: “Changes in technology and digitalization have led to a growing use of ondemand services generally in business, with organizations of all sizes wanting to increasingly outsource non-core activities.”

“Flexible working, supported by a professional on-demand workspace network, is now being discussed by senior leaders across functions in companies including risk management, business development, human resources, marketing and strategy,” he further noted.