Canberrans and Melburnians are proving more reluctant to return to the office than workers in other cities, with the two capitals so far embracing greater work flexibility, CBRE says.

While the growing use of return-to-office mandates by employers has boosted attendance in all CBDs, Canberra and Melbourne office occupancy levels remained well below 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, CBRE’s figures for the March quarter show.