[Office User Report] Working Style Survey Report Vol.1

Sanko Estate Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Shojiro Fukushima) has released the "Office User Report," summarizing a working style survey conducted among 3,000 office workers.

▼ The report can also be viewed here:

https://www.sanko-e.co.jp/pdf/data/OfficeUserReport_20260331.pdf

Commuting Frequency and Satisfaction with Office Environment

High Satisfaction with Flexible Working Styles

According to the working style survey conducted by Sanko Estate among office workers, those with flexible working styles of about 1-3 days per week tend to have higher satisfaction with the office environment compared to those who commute 5 days or more per week or less than 1 day per week.

For those who answered 0 days of commuting (full remote), the proportion of both "very satisfied" and "very dissatisfied" was high, indicating significant individual differences in satisfaction with the office environment.

Actual vs. Ideal Commuting Frequency

77% of Office Workers Prefer Remote Work

While 55% of office workers commute to the office 5 days or more per week, only 23% responded that their ideal commuting frequency is 5 days or more per week. 77% desire remote work. A considerable number, totaling 21%, do not even wish to commute one day a week ("less than 1 day" + "0 days").

Reasons for Commuting

Systemic and Operational Constraints Top the List

The top three reasons for commuting are "Work content that can only be done in the office," "Commuting is mandated by regulations," and "To use equipment or materials only available in the office." All of these exceeded 30%, with a gap of over 10 percentage points from the fourth reason.

Currently, the primary drivers for office workers to commute are systemic and operational constraints, suggesting a strong element of obligation – they commute "because they have to."

Discrepancy Between Ideal and Actual Commuting Frequency

Half of Men Aged 30-40 and Women Aged 20-50 Want to Reduce Commuting Frequency

The discrepancy between ideal and actual commuting frequency shows slightly different trends by age and gender. Over half of men in their 30s and 40s, and women in their 20s to 50s, want to reduce their commuting frequency. This is likely a reflection of the strong demand for flexible working environments, particularly among those raising families. Furthermore, a small but notable number of people also wish to increase their commuting frequency.

Commute Time and Satisfaction with Office Environment

Long Commute Times Lead to Lower Satisfaction

Satisfaction with the office environment is also dependent on commute time. Satisfaction tends to decrease slightly when commute time exceeds 45 minutes, and the total of "somewhat dissatisfied," "dissatisfied," and "very dissatisfied" exceeds 30% when commute time exceeds 90 minutes. However, since satisfaction is closely related to commuting frequency, it is expected that lower commuting frequency can mitigate dissatisfaction caused by long commutes.

[Reference] Statistics on Commuting

Commuting Regulations, Commute Time, and Means of Commute

51% of companies, about half, require "principal commuting" to the office by regulation. Furthermore, even among companies that allow remote work, many tend to have clear regulations regarding the number of commuting days. Commute times of 31-60 minutes accounted for 50%, and 61-90 minutes accounted for 21%, with the average commute time being 55.6 minutes. Over 90% of commuters use trains, while the proportion using bicycles or buses is less than 10% each.

Analyst's Perspective

With the widespread adoption of hybrid work, there is a growing demand for environments where office workers can proactively choose their working styles. Mandating commuting frequency by employers carries the risk of lowering employee satisfaction. To simultaneously achieve a return to the office, attract top talent, and improve employee engagement, it will become increasingly crucial to develop "flexible working environments" and "offices that employees want to visit voluntarily."

Survey Overview

Period: December 2, 2025 (Tuesday) - December 5, 2025 (Friday)

Method: Web questionnaire survey

Target: 3,000 office workers residing in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures and commuting to Tokyo's 23 wards.

Cooperation: University of Tsukuba, Real Estate and Spatial Econometrics Laboratory

About Sanko Estate Co., Ltd.

Sanko Estate Co., Ltd. (established May 17, 1977) provides comprehensive support for corporate office strategies. From selecting and brokering rental office buildings to verifying and proposing optimal workplaces and providing essential management functions for project execution, we broadly meet all office-related needs.

https://www.sanko-e.co.jp/