Most Partnership members will have fully reopened their offices by the end of June, if they have not done so already. The process varies though, with as many firms requiring employees in the office five days a week as require two days or less. The hybrid environment has forced many to rethink their real estate needs as well, with over 20 percent planning to eventually reduce their footprint. 

Those are the major conclusions from a survey the Partnership conducted of its members in early June. Responses came from 140 companies in 15 industries. Roughly one-third of respondents had 500 or more employees, one-third 51 to 500 employees, and one third 50 or fewer employees. The Partnership conducted the survey to help local employees see how others are handling the tough issues surrounding reopening.

Timing of Reopening

When asked about reopening, half (50 percent) of survey respondents either never closed or have already resumed full operations; another 16 percent are opening in June. By September, 90 percent expect to have fully reopened. 

Less than half (44 percent) expect their employees in the office four or more days per week. More than half (56 percent) expect employees in the office three days or less. At least 60 percent of respondents indicated they will have at least one day a month (or week) in which all employees are expected to be in the office at the same time.

Three-fourths of the responses came from four sectors: energy (upstream, midstream, power, renewables), F.I.R.E. (finance, insurance, and real estate), non-profit organizations, and professional services. Non-profits and professional services lean toward requiring their employees in the office three days or less each week. Firms in energy and F.I.R.E are split between four to five days per week and three days or less.

Vaccinations

The survey found that only 8 percent of respondents are requiring vaccinations as a condition of return to work. However, one-fourth offer a tangible, monetary, or time-off reward for getting vaccinated.

A little over half (52 percent) are tracking employee vaccinations. Of those, about a third (36 percent) require proof and another third (33 percent) are conducting non-anonymous surveys.

Social Distancing

Over half of all respondents (55 percent) require non-vaccinated employees to wear masks. The rest are split between mandating masks for all (22 percent) and mandating masks regardless of vaccination status (24 percent).

Only 21 percent have eliminated social distancing indoors. The rest require social distancing of all employees (41 percent) or amongst the un-vaccinated (38 percent). 

The top three health and safety measures being deployed are enhanced cleaning services (selected by 72 percent), limiting elevator capacity (selected by 64 percent), and providing individual safety equipment and supplies (selected by 46 percent). 

One in five firms expect to reduce the amount of office space they lease. Of those, 73 percent are reducing by more than 20 percent, including 27 percent who are reducing by more than 40 percent.

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Note: The geographic area referred to in this publication as “Houston,” "Houston Area” and “Metro Houston” is the nine-county Census designated metropolitan statistical area of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX. The nine counties are: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller.