Working from office one or two days a week is productive 'sweet spot', says Harvard study

A study has shown people who work in the office only one or two days a week are the most productive.

The report, commissioned by Harvard Business School, said people who spent most of their time working from home, with a day or two at the office, performed best.

The paper was based on research involving 130 administrative employees in a live test.

Workers were split into three groups over nine weeks, with one group spending no more than eight weeks in the office.

Intermediate hybrid work is plausibly the sweet spot, where workers enjoy flexibility

Harvard Business School report

Another spent nine to 14 days in the office, while the third group was in the office for more than two weeks.

The group that was in the office for two days a week produced the highest quality of work.

"Intermediate hybrid work is plausibly the sweet spot, where workers enjoy flexibility and yet are not as isolated compared to peers who are predominantly working from home,” the researchers said.

The findings of the Harvard report, published last month, were in stark contrast to a global trend of company executives calling for employees to return to the office en masse.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams met more than 100 chief executives in February to discuss ways to get staff back at their desks.

“We can’t keep kicking the can down the road,” he told Forbes magazine.

"Let's start out with a three-day work week, to let people see how safe it is to come back to work, then we cycle back into a five-day week.”

He said the lack of people commuting to work was hurting his city’s economy.

US Financial Services company Citigroup also made vaccinated staff return to the office, for at least two days a week, in March.

A report published by Microsoft in March said about 50 per cent of companies wanted staff to return to working five days a week in the office. The survey canvassed the opinions of more than 31,000 workers worldwide in January and February.

Job candidates arriving in Dubai 'demand flexible working'

Dubai's post-pandemic boom has made it one of the most visited places in the world today. Further to that, the city has seen tens of thousands of new residents arrive to settle down. Reuters
Between late 2020 and spring 2022, the city's population grew by close to 100,000 people. Karim Sahib / AFP
Lifestyle and a growing jobs market has attracted many residents to flashy communities such as Jumeirah Beach Residence. Reuters
Population growth is a major part of Dubai's 2040 Urban Plan, which seeks to boost the population to 5.8 million. Chris Whiteoak / The National
There are plans to physically expand Dubai, creating new beaches and parks for the larger population. The government wants 60 per cent of the city to be green parks and reserves. Photo: Dubai Media Office
$The past two years have \seen a rush of foreign investors looking to buy new property in places such as Palm Jumeirah, where prices have risen significantly. AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili$
The past two years have \seen a rush of foreign investors looking to buy new property in places such as Palm Jumeirah, where prices have risen significantly. AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili
Landmarks such as Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, have put Dubai on the map as a global lifestyle destination. Reuters

In Dubai, which has reported a post-pandemic economic boost and a flood of new professionals and families arriving, recruiters say many job candidates expect flexible working.

“I don’t think companies have that much of a say in it any more,” said David Mackenzie, group managing director of recruiters Mackenzie Jones.

“Candidates are demanding flexible working conditions. It’s one of the very first things they are asking about in interviews at the minute.”

Most companies, in line with global trends, introduced working-from-home models during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But a recent report from recruitment agency Hays said working from the office full-time was again the most common working practice in the UAE.

It found more than 40 per cent of companies had staff back in the offices about five days a week. But in a demonstration of the divide between executives, the next most popular was complete flexibility to work from home or the office (20 per cent).

Working from home for two or three days a week was adopted by 12 per cent of companies, with 7 per cent allowing staff to work from home one or two days a month.

Operating from home one day a week was offered by 6 per cent of companies that took part in the survey.

“There is no doubt that flexible working is here to stay, with many professionals considering it a critical benefit in deciding where to work," said Sarah Dixon, managing director of Hays in the Gulf.

“However, there is no standardised trend as to what organisations offer their employees in the region and it is likely this will continue to be the case.

“There is an attitude of needing people back into the workplace to justify the cost of the office."

'We can't fit everyone in the office any more'

One hurdle is that many companies are locked into long-term rental contracts for their offices.

Others, which had more flexibility with their rental contracts, have downsized their offices and moved to smaller premises.

Digital communications agency Create Media Group, in Dubai, significantly increased its staff level during the pandemic, adding 100 new employees.

Instead of moving to bigger offices to accommodate the influx of staff, it has introduced a desk-sharing policy.

“We are not able to fit everyone into the office on the same day,” said Tom Otton, managing partner of Create Media Group.

“Now we rotate different teams on different days and use it more as a hub.

“We had planned to move to bigger offices after the pandemic but the rotation has been so successful we have ditched that idea.”

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Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri

Rating: 1/5

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Always check the weather forecast before setting off

Make sure you have plenty of water

Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear

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%3Cp%3EAsked%20to%20rate%20Boris%20Johnson's%20leadership%20out%20of%2010%2C%20Mr%20Sunak%20awarded%20a%20full%2010%20for%20delivering%20Brexit%20%E2%80%94%20remarks%20that%20earned%20him%20his%20biggest%20round%20of%20applause%20of%20the%20night.%20%22My%20views%20are%20clear%2C%20when%20he%20was%20great%20he%20was%20great%20and%20it%20got%20to%20a%20point%20where%20we%20need%20to%20move%20forward.%20In%20delivering%20a%20solution%20to%20Brexit%20and%20winning%20an%20election%20that's%20a%2010%2F10%20-%20you've%20got%20to%20give%20the%20guy%20credit%20for%20that%2C%20no-one%20else%20could%20probably%20have%20done%20that.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

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Brief scoreline

Switzerland 0

England 0

Result: England win 6-5 on penalties

Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)

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Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology

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Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends

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if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk

“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”

“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”

“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”

“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”

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Working from office one or two days a week is productive 'sweet spot', says Harvard study

Report counters growing number of executives who say economies need employees back at their desks full time

Job candidates arriving in Dubai 'demand flexible working'

'We can't fit everyone in the office any more'

UAE salary guide 2022: in pictures

RESULT

Kareem Shaheen on Canada

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Working from office one or two days a week is productive 'sweet spot', says Harvard study

Report counters growing number of executives who say economies need employees back at their desks full time

Job candidates arriving in Dubai 'demand flexible working'

'We can't fit everyone in the office any more'

UAE salary guide 2022: in pictures

RESULT

Kareem Shaheen on Canada

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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed

INVESTMENT&nbsp;PLEDGES

On Women's Day

While you're here

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Dhadak 2

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More on Quran memorisation:

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Brief scoreline

More from Neighbourhood Watch:

The biog

A State of Passion

THE LOWDOWN

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if you go

Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk

India Test squad

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Five expert hiking tips