This month Dublin Chamber released its Q3 Business Outlook Survey report on hybrid and remote working. The survey marked the second collaboration between Dublin Chamber and Savills, with a similar survey conducted in Q4 2022, the opportunity was provided to examine how the space has evolved over the last nine months. Over 320 businesses across the Dublin region participate in the survey and contributed to a study of remote and hybrid working over varying aspects including time, capacity, space, and legislation. The full Q3 Business Outlook Survey report can be read here. Some of the report’s highlights are as follows.

• Thursday has replaced Wednesday as the busiest day in the office. As an increase in office capacity is observed for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Contrastingly, Monday and Friday remain the lowest report capacity during the week.
• Over half of Dublin businesses require employees to be in the office 2 or 3 days. With less than one in ten required to be in the office five days a week, it can be said with some certainty that hybrid/remote working is here to stay.
• Only a third of companies (33%) now offer complete flexibility to their staff regarding ‘core hours/days’, a steep drop from 45% in Q4 2022.
• Offering hybrid and remote working as a recruitment and retention tactic remains the largest motivator for companies, with almost three in four (73%) using it as a tool to address the current skills crisis.
• Approximately half of those surveyed have made no changes over the last twelve months to increase or decrease time spent in the office. However, SMEs appear to lean more towards remote work, whereas larger firms with over 50 staff are inclined to increase office days.

The Q3 Business Outlook Survey report and its press release can be read in full in the enclosed links. Additionally, press coverage can be here by the respective media outlets, other coverage included RTE, Business Plus, Irish Independent, while being publicly responded to by Senator Marie Sherlock here.

As well as appearing in the Irish Times print edition, Aebhric McGibney spoke to Joe Lynam on Breakfast Business available to listen here. Furthermore, the Survey released in association with Savills was dispersed widely using both parties’ expansive platforms. Through Savills, thoughts on the main issues of the survey, remote and hybrid working practices, were raised on Savills LinkedIn page which is followed by over 400,000 people.