The new way of working

Long before the pandemic took hold, we were beginning to see a sea change in the way that many office-based workers choose to work. The traditional office environment and nine-to-five office hours were becoming less common, as more flexible ways of working were slowly becoming the norm. The catalysts of this change were social, cultural, economic and technological. This change was accelerated by the pandemic, and there is an increased acceptance of the ability to work productively away from the office, fuelled by the recent lockdowns. According to a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics, 85% of adults that spent any amount of time working from home during periods of lockdown now want to work more flexibly – splitting their time between working remotely and their company office.

It comes as no surprise then that with the desire from workers for a partial return to the office, and the shift in approach to a more hybrid working model, many businesses are rethinking their office space, taking into account costs and productivity, and paying more attention to wellbeing factors. Businesses have been given a unique opportunity for a reset, where they can transform their business and the way they work. The office is no longer seen as a place where you sit at a desk all day, so businesses need to look at how they can deliver a more collaborative experience – exchanging typical office layouts for more flexible and multi-use spaces that facilitate the positive aspects of returning to the office environment – opportunities for collaboration, interaction, creativity, and redressing the work-life balance by providing some separation between work and home. Creating the right post-pandemic office environment is an exciting challenge for businesses. There are many advantages of creating more hybrid workspace - it has a clear impact on the lifestyles and happiness of their employees, as well as to their bottom line.