European employees increasingly stay at the office all day but go in less often than colleagues elsewhere

While working in-office four to five days a week is already the norm in Asia, the Americas and other regions, the most common model in Europe remains a hybrid approach with two to three days in the office. However, when Europeans do come to the office, they spend more time there than employees anywhere else in the world. According to the latest analysis by Colliers, based on data from the Basking.io platform, more than half of office visits in the EMEA region last seven hours or more. Together with the United Kingdom, Central Europe, including the Czech Republic, also has the highest office occupancy rate in Europe: 35%.

The hybrid model persists, while full in-office attendance is on the rise

In EMEA, 41% of employees go to the office two to three days a week, 33% once a week and 26% four to five days a week. However, it is this last group that is growing the fastest. Year-on-year, it has grown by 5 percentage points and has nearly doubled since 2024, when it stood at 15%. Conversely, the share of people who go to the office only once a week has fallen from 40% to 33% over the same period. Even so, Europe has yet to catch up with other regions. In 2026, four to five days a week became the most common pattern in Latin America (46%), Asia-Pacific (41%) and North America (38%). EMEA remains the only region where two to three days a week is the norm.

The shift is even clearer compared with 2023, when Colliers and Basking.io tracked employees’ return to the office after the pandemic. At that time, 44% of employees in EMEA went to the office once a week, 38% two to three days a week and only 18% four to five days a week.

In EMEA, the number of employees who work from the office four to five days a week and spend more than four hours there each time has grown from 16% to 21%: the largest increase of any region. Employees with a flexible schedule and no fixed pattern nevertheless remain the largest group, at 31%.

“The return-to-office policies that many companies introduced last year are clearly reflected in the data. At the same time, however, Europe shows that both employees and companies view the hybrid model as a permanent arrangement, not a temporary pandemic-era solution. The number of people who go to the office almost every day is growing, but a large group still adjusts their office presence to current needs,” says Jana Vlková, director of Colliers’ Workplace Advisory and Office Agency departments and company partner.

Occupancy dragged down by the Middle East

The average weekly peak occupancy rate—which reflects how intensively offices are used relative to their seating capacity—reached 30% in EMEA. The Middle East accounted for much of the 8-percentage-point year-on-year decline: occupancy there has plummeted since early March and averaged just 16% for the quarter.

Central and Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom, in contrast, lead the European rankings with an occupancy rate of 35%. Western Europe follows with 32%, Southern Europe with 28% and Northern Europe with 27%. In Central and Eastern Europe, 44% of employees primarily go to the office two to three days a week: the highest proportion in Europe. A further 32% go to the office once a week and 24% four to five days a week. The United Kingdom has the highest proportion of employees who come to the office almost every day (29%), while Southern Europe has the lowest (18%). In Southern Europe, 42% of employees also come in only once a week.

“Three years ago, the Czech Republic ranked in the middle of the pack for office occupancy: between Western European countries, where rates were lower, and countries such as Greece or Romania, where people have a stronger preference for in-person contact and teamwork. Today, our region leads in office occupancy. Companies here use offices more intensively, even though working fully from the office remains a minority choice,” adds Jana Vlková.

Monday catches up with midweek

The distribution of attendance throughout the week is also changing. In 2023, Tuesday was clearly the busiest day, while average occupancy on Friday dropped to 17%. In 2026, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each accounted for 22% of visits in EMEA, with Monday close behind at 20%. Friday remains the slowest day, with a 15% share. Global data show a similar trend: Tuesday to Thursday holds steady at 20 to 22%, Monday has shifted to 18 to 20% and Friday consistently ranges between 15 and 17%.

“When attendance is spread more evenly throughout the week and people stay in the office all day, it’s no longer enough to size offices solely on Tuesday or Wednesday peaks. Facilities for all-day stays are becoming more important: from spaces for focused work to kitchenettes and relaxation areas. We expect companies to reorganize their space around how people actually use it rather than cutting it across the board,” concludes Jana Vlková.