Report: How going from Zooms to rooms impacts office life

Density data shows how RTO is really playing out on the ground. Get strategies to make your office comeback a success.

An image of a report titled From Zooms to Rooms: Real data on the RTO experience sitting on a desk with a succulent and an open laptop

In the last few months, RTO talk has dominated business headlines. But pretty much what we’ve heard is just hot takes. We really wanted to know: What’s actually happening in the workplace as employees return to the office?

So we went straight to the source—our sensor data.

For our research report‍, we measured 19,000+ spaces across major global organizations before and after the RTO took effect. We looked at how employees show up, how they collaborate, how they use meeting rooms and yes, how they flout the policies, too.

What we found paints a surprisingly clear picture of the post-pandemic workplace. And it’s not all what you’d expect.

📥 Download the full report

🔄 The “office-moon” is real

The week before an RTO policy kicks in, office occupancy drops 13%. It’s like the corporate version of a honeymoon—just with fewer beach cocktails and more panic-shopping for “hard pants.”

Employees are soaking in their final days of remote freedom before the schedule changes.

📈 The first week back? A frenzy.

When RTO hits, attendance spikes—fast. Offices see a 28% jump in occupancy during the first week of return. It’s a strong opening act. But then… reality sets in.

Over the next 10 weeks, that initial bump loses about 12 percentage points. In other words: the hype fades, and a new, more sustainable rhythm takes hold.

🤝 Collaboration explodes—then levels off

Here’s where things get interesting: collaboration time surges 40% in the first week post-RTO—outpacing even the jump in attendance. People aren’t just showing up; they’re actually working together.

That burst eventually stabilizes at around 32% higher than pre-RTO levels. On average, employees who’ve RTO’d now spend 50 minutes per day on average collaborating face to face.

The bottom line: In-person time isn’t just about being present—it’s about being productive together.

🚀 Want to make your RTO work better?

Our full report includes more findings on RTO behaviors including meeting room and desk use, what days of the week are most popular as well as cost efficiencies businesses are seeing.

There’s also strategies for making your RTO policy stick—and guidance for how to set up your own short-term studies to measure how your next policy change impacts space use.