37% of employees in the Philippines feel hindered by office environment — report

MANILA, Philippines — A report by a tech firm found that some employees in the Philippines believe that office layouts, seating arrangements and meeting rooms are not conducive to in-office productivity.

According to the report of Cisco released Friday, workspace design, layout and technology have not kept pace with “changing employee expectations.”

At least 37% of  workers in the country believe that return-to-office (RTO) set-up does not enable them to show their full potential at work.

“Our study reveals that employees in the Philippines have embraced hybrid work and are willing to return to the office more often, but with a caveat, workspaces must adapt to their evolving needs and expectations,” Zaza Soriano-Nicart, Cisco Philippines’ Managing Director, said.

"In the era of hybrid work, employers need to reimagine their workspaces as a hub for collaboration and connect people in new ways with the right connectivity, collaboration tools, and culture,” she added.

According to the firm's report, 93% of the companies in the Philippines have returned to office (RTO) since the government allowed in-person work in 2022. 

Currently, 80% of employees in the Philippines had a positive reaction to the RTO setup, according to the firm.

However, a larger percentage, 89%, prefer to only return to the office at least a few times per week. 

Nevertheless, the report noted that employees' reasons for returning to the office have "significantly evolved," extending beyond mere individual work tasks.

Cisco said that employees desire to return to the office for collaborations, brainstorming and fostering a “sense of belonging.”

“This shift signifies a change in employee expectations and needs for their workspaces,” the firm said. 

Data by the firm also shows that 37% of employers admit that their office is not fully fit for purpose to enable them and their employees to do their best work.

“When referring to office layouts and seating arrangements, 73% of employees feel these are not conducive to collaboration and brainstorming purposes. While there is a growing emphasis on collaboration, 78% of employers surveyed still allocate at least half of their offices to individual workspaces,” Cisco said.

With that mentioned, employees, according to the firm, believe that individual workstations and meeting rooms, significantly decrease the productivity of work in the office.

Cisco’s report on the Philippine workplace is based on the firm’s survey conducted on 9,200 full-time employees and 1,650 employers in November 2023.

Respondents hailed from Asia Pacific markets including Australia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea.