Workplace quality drives return-to-office success in Asia Pacific

Across Asia Pacific, return-to-office (RTO) requirements are now established, with most companies setting office attendance mandates that aim to balance corporate priorities with employee expectations. As work patterns reach equilibrium, employees are increasingly assessing their office experience and work life balance expectations against the advantages of remote work and flexible working hours.

JLL’s Workforce Preference Barometer 2025 – a global survey including 3,100 workers across nine APAC markets covering sectors such as financial services, technology, manufacturing, and public institutions – illuminates how employees perceive today’s workplace.

The research shows rising expectations on the office environment and the pivotal role that workplace experience plays in shaping employee perceptions of RTO mandates. How employees feel about these mandates influences how engaged they are with the office and their work. For corporate real estate (CRE) leaders, the data reveals significant opportunity to design and manage work environments that elevate the return to the office from a compliance requirement to a driver of productivity and company culture.

Across Asia Pacific, employees have returned to the office – and structured office attendance has become the new normal. Seven in ten employees in APAC face some form of RTO mandate, with the companies setting clear expectations for the number of days working on-site.

Indonesia and Hong Kong are leading the charge for full-time RTO mandates

Strikingly, three in four employees with RTO mandates feel positively about them but that acceptance often depends on the overall employee experience. For most, collaboration is the leading driver: 56% say working together in person delivers better results. Other common reasons are a preference for working in the office (43%) and that the mandated RTO requirements are fairer for all employees (40%).

In contract, negative perceptions about office attendance mandates peak among employees who are dissatisfied with their office environment, suggesting that the quality of office experience is paramount to demonstrate the value of working from the office, especially in terms of productivity, teamwork, and individual comfort.

Among APAC respondents who are satisfied with their workplace, 85% say their RTO policy has a positive impact on them.

Great workplaces significantly impact office policy acceptance

This shows that office attendance policies are not judged on requirements alone, but by how well the workplace meets employee needs and overall experience. Those needs are evolving as employees weigh the benefits of home-working – such as comfort and autonomy over the workday – against the value of working in the office. Many recognize this trade-off, with four in ten APAC respondents saying they expect enhanced in-office spaces and amenities in return for policy enforcement and mandates that require increased office attendance.

For organizations competing for talent, this presents both a risk and an opportunity. While RTO mandates can secure office attendance in line with organizational needs, the quality of the workplace experience is critical to engage employees, foster productivity and retain talent over the long-term. Understanding what employees value in their office environment will enable CRE leaders to prioritise investments in the areas of workplace experience that matter most and thus strengthening positive perceptions of RTO mandates.

Employees are generally satisfied with the core enablers of day-to-day work – securing workspace; sitting near their team; and accessing good natural light. Most also agree their work environment supports focus work, collaboration, productivity, and skill development, with opportunities to learn from colleagues.

Where workplaces fall short is in the more experiential aspects that can spark creativity and nurture connections. Employees flag the need for more inspiring environments; stronger support for wellbeing and recharging during the workday; and greater opportunities for socialising and engaging with colleagues to embrace the company culture. These elements can make office time more meaningful and differentiate workplace culture in the competition for talent.

Within the physical workplace, employees also report that wellbeing features need the most improvement – specifically, access to outdoor spaces such as roofs and gardens, sustainable design, and acoustic quality, all of which can influence whether time in the office feels energizing or draining.

CRE leaders must assess where the workforce feels least satisfied to create spaces that can encourage the innovation and sense of community that organizations want to achieve with RTO mandates.

Organizations must move beyond compliance-driven attendance and make the commute worthwhile. With organizations facing cost pressures, the challenge will be to strategically invest in the most significant satisfaction gaps in the workplace experience developing spaces that support employee wellbeing initiatives.

Our research highlights key priorities for organizations and CRE leaders in Asia Pacific:

The physical workplace

• Coordinate teams’ locations and presence to make the commute worthwhile, ensuring opportunities to collaborate, strengthen culture, spend time with managers, or engage in informal learning.
• Create differentiated office environments, with high-quality finishes, personalized amenities, nutritious food options and modern social spaces.
• Leverage technologies to create AI-enabled collaborative environments and make office spaces more responsive, accessible, and community-oriented.
• Use the physical workplace to strengthen company culture and professional growth, providing opportunities for recognition, community, networking, and mentorship.

The broader experience

• Tailor employee value propositions, including varied amenities and flexibility options adaptable to different life stages and responsibilities.
• Expand flexible policies to emphasize autonomy over working hours and support short notice leave, and tailor options to distinct employee groups.
• Establish holistic wellbeing programs addressing mental wellbeing, caregiving support and burnout prevention—especially for high-risk groups like managers and caregivers.
• Invest in manager training focused on emotional intelligence, remote leadership, and awareness of team pressures.
• Continuously gather and act on employee feedback, segmenting strategies by demographics, roles, tenure, and regions to keep policies adaptive and relevant.

Strategic workplace solutions for the hybrid era, powered by JLL

Ready to transform your workplace strategy to meet rising employee expectations and drive retention? We help organizations design flexible, engaging work environments that balance structured policies with employee wellbeing.

Contact JLL Consulting Services today.