Gen Z office days: Savills survey finds 3.4-day preference, gyms valued

Gen Z office workers would choose to be in the office about 3.4 days a week, slightly more than millennials, according to the Savills Impacts Generational Preferences Survey released by the property consultancy Savills on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. The survey drew 645 responses worldwide between 4 and 18 September 2026. It found that young workers care strongly about commute times, reliable Wi-Fi, public transport and having a gym or Pilates studio near the office, and that every Gen Z respondent rated work-life balance as at least moderately important.

For years the common picture was that young workers want to stay home and that it is older staff who miss the office. This survey points the other way. In this sample, Gen Z say they want more office days than millennials do, though still fewer than the four days most workers now attend.

But the survey also shows that preference has conditions. The long commute stands out. Nearly half of Gen Z respondents travel 41 minutes or more to work, the highest share among the generations. Savills links this partly to affordable housing being found further from city centres, which pushes younger workers, who usually earn less, to live further out. That is why Gen Z gave more weight to public transport access than older groups. For a young worker, an office day is not only about the desk; it is also the time, money and energy spent getting there.

The amenities list says something about how young people want to live. Gyms and Pilates studios near the office ranked higher for Gen Z than health food shops or tennis and padel courts. A gym next to the office lets a worker fit exercise into an office day without a separate trip. Restaurants, though, remain the top draw for everyone.

There is a caution. With 645 responses collected worldwide and no breakdown by country, the survey is a snapshot, not a census, and it cannot say how Indian Gen Z workers differ from those elsewhere. For a young reader choosing between job offers, the practical point is to look past the salary at the office policy, the commute and what is around the workplace, since this survey suggests those shape how the working week feels.

Peepals calculation: Gen Z would choose 3.4 office days but currently attend about 4, a gap of 0.6 days a week (4 − 3.4), or about 15% fewer days than they now go in (0.6 ÷ 4). Compared with younger millennials' 3.2 days, Gen Z's 3.4 days is about 6% more (0.2 ÷ 3.2). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Employers and office landlords get a signal that young staff are willing to come in, as long as the trip is manageable and the building and its surroundings offer something, from good Wi-Fi to a gym nearby.

Long-term: If the pattern holds, office location may matter as much as office design. Workplaces near metro lines, bus routes and fitness and food options could find it easier to attract young talent, while offices far from transport may struggle.

Who is affected: Students about to join the workforce, first-jobbers deciding between hybrid and office-based roles, HR teams setting attendance rules, and developers and city planners deciding where offices and housing go.

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