Around 28 percent of employees work from home on an average day in 2025/2026, and this level has remained stable in recent years. Remote work usage is significantly higher than before the pandemic and appears to be a lasting part of working life.
When companies evaluate their office needs, it is helpful to understand actual attendance patterns. At Spacefinder, we often hear that many employees work from home regularly, yet few businesses have a clear overview of which days the office is used most or least. Still, many are interested in knowing whether they could downsize their office or benefit from more flexible solutions.
Updated October 2026: Since this article was published in December 2025, several major Norwegian employers have tightened their remote work policies, led by DNB. Read about what the tightening means for the Oslo office market.
Remote work as an established work model
An analysis from UNION, based on visitor data from more than 100 canteens operated by Compass Group in Oslo, shows that office attendance remains significantly lower than before the pandemic. The numbers compare 2023, 2024, and 2025 with 2019, and the trend is clear: offices are used less—and differently—than they used to be.
What the data shows
- 28 percent fewer canteen visitors compared to 2019
- Fridays have 36 percent lower attendance than before the pandemic
- Attendance has remained consistently low through 2023–2025
With such a large dataset, these numbers provide a representative picture of actual presence in the workplace. This means that around 28 percent of the workforce works from home on an average day.
The tightening in the US has reached Norway
Several international companies, particularly in the US, have tightened their flexibility around remote work. When this article was written in December 2025, we saw no clear effect of this in Norway, and Norwegian employers were sticking with hybrid models.
That picture changed during 2026. DNB ended its fixed remote work days from October, Nordea has said it is considering the same, and in an NHO survey from July, 41 percent of managers said they want less remote work in their organisation. We look at what is driving the tightening in our analysis of DNB’s decision and the wider trend.
What does this mean for office strategy?
With such a large share of employees working from home at least one day a week, many businesses find it relevant to reassess whether their office space is appropriately sized. This may include exploring:
- Smaller office solutions
- Activity-based workspace layouts
- Flexible or hybrid office models
Spacefinder supports companies with free advisory services and a structured office search, making it easier to make informed decisions based on actual needs and usage patterns.
