According to the Sustainable Urban Environments barometer commissioned by YIT, remote work is common and many employers have dimensioned office space accordingly. However, over the last year, the freedom to work remotely has been restricted to some extent. Approximately half (48%) of the respondents in office jobs still work remotely 3 to 5 days a week. The proportion of people who work remotely several days a week has slightly decreased from last year.

One third of those working in an office say that their employer has clearly limited the amount of remote work, while in a quarter of the companies remote and office days are agreed at the team level. Three quarters (78%) of those in office jobs hope that they can decide when and where they do their work in the future.

As a result of remote work, those companies that do not require their employees to work from the office have reserved desk space for less than 60% of the employees.

"We are still taking steps toward a well-functioning, well-balanced work culture that helps optimize forms of work while also supporting corporate values and strengthening corporate culture, competitiveness and employee engagement," says Tuula Klemetti, the head of Building Construction customer accounts and marketing at YIT.

"Remote work has not eliminated the need for communality and interaction, which in turn has increased the management of hybrid work that takes into account the needs of organizations and the systematic use of premises. A socially intelligent work environment streamlines day-to-day tasks, sets the pace for the working day as needed, and increases well-being at work, reducing the strain caused by work. The work environment must support individual work as well as encounters and information flow and provide opportunities for sparring with colleagues and learning from the organization," Klemetti adds.

Ideal office space with good ventilation and comfortable temperature

The actual office spaces in use differ greatly from ideal premises: many office employees would like to see more investments in, for example, affordable lunches and in good ventilation and comfortable temperature.

"The indoor conditions and energy efficiency in offices are key factors that affect the comfort, well-being and productivity of employees. Optimal indoor conditions, such as good air quality, the right temperature, and adequate lighting, promote employees' health and work efficiency," says Juho Siitonen, VP for Building Systems at YIT.

Adjustable workstations and fast internet connections are part of the ideal office for more and more respondents. Their importance increased by 10 percentage points from the last survey.

Those who mainly work remotely would invest more in making the office premises cozier and in creating tranquil spaces for attending hybrid meetings. First and foremost, employees who work mostly remotely would appreciate having their own office space at the office.

Interest in leasable remote workspaces has steadily declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-quarters of remote workers prefer to work from home rather than a nearby coworking space.

Respondents under the age of 36 and those who are not at all satisfied with their current workspace are the most interested in an apartment with a separate office room.

Sustainability is important for office workers

Every second person working in an office thinks about the eco-friendliness of their workplace from time to time. Three things related to the office's eco-friendliness emerge more often than others in the responses: Location with good public transport connections, promotion of recycling, and minimization of food waste.

"In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, having energy-efficient premises also reduces the environmental impact and costs of the office, which makes it not only economically sensible but also environmentally sustainable," Siitonen adds.

Women value recycling in the workplace, responsible procurement, and efforts toward low-emission commuting more than men. Young employees greatly appreciate measures to encourage employees to favor low-emission modes of travel.

The Sustainable Urban Environments barometer was conducted for the seventh time at the end of 2024. It is targeted at the residents of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä and Kuopio. The number of respondents for the online panel was 1,000 + 350 (separate sample of office workers). The dataset represents the urban population aged 18-80 by gender, age and the size of the cities. Prior Konsultointi was commissioned by YIT to conduct the survey.

Read more:
The Sustainable Urban Environments Barometer | YITGroup.com
Owning a home is considered financially attractive - a sense of community increases commitment to a residential area | YITGroup.com

For more information: 
YIT Corporate communications, tel. +358 44 743 7536, press@yit.fi

We build and develop sustainable living environments: functional and attractive homes, future-proof public and commercial buildings, infrastructure to support the green transition as well as industrial, production, and energy facilities to support our customers' processes. YIT's vision is to be the expert partner in developing sustainable homes, spaces, and cities - for a good life. There are approximately 4,100 professionals in our team and our revenue in 2024 was EUR 1.8 billion. YIT Corporation's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

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