In a world in which companies are forcing employees back into the office in a never-ending, post-pandemic RTO push, two-thirds of office workers are secretly “hacking” their workspaces to meet their needs.

According to an international survey released earlier this year by global design firm Gensler, a clear majority of workers use do-it-yourself fixes to maintain comfort and privacy and personalize their workspaces.  

The anonymous, panel-based survey included nearly 16,500 workers in 16 countries. It found that although the settings where people work have stabilized over the past three years—the average worker spends 55% of their time in the office and 26% in “coworking spaces, client/vendor sites, third places, or while traveling for business”—challenges remain.

A quarter of employees use workspace “hacking” to address ergonomic, temperature, privacy, and storage issues, the report found, with respondents reporting rearranging furniture, bringing in personal heaters and fans, and modifying air vents, among other makeshift solutions. Changes to optimize lighting (like adding extra reading lights) and reduce noise (like using headphones) were also common. 

In May, Gallup estimated that 22% of workers who are “remote-capable,” which includes most knowledge workers, are back on site full time, while 52% are in hybrid arrangements and 26% are exclusively remote. 

As of October 2026, about 58% of all full-time wage and salary workers in the U.S. are back on site, according to the Federal Reserve of St. Louis. 

More than 60% of respondents reported that limited meeting space led them to take calls from hallways or staircases, or cancel meetings altogether.

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