Will People Return to the Office Anytime Soon?

IT’S OVER 18 MONTHS now since the pandemic triggered a total disruption to our everyday office routines – causing millions of people to work from home.

As we move into the second year – many established companies are still undecided on the new workplace model going forward.

With a growing number of start-ups, perhaps you’re seeing a new kind of worker emerge – someone not prepared to return to the traditional office, five days a week.

And social distancing measures have caused a complete reassessment of the white-collar workplace.

Is there a Seismic Shift taking place?

Some CBD employers have scoffed at the idea of suburban workplace satellites becoming a permanent alternative. According to OECD research, about 70% of knowledge workers plan to work remotely at least one day a week – even after the pandemic.

As such, the growth of co-working spaces in residential neighbourhoods may cause some employers to rethink their current approach.

There is now a need to offer your staff the flexibility of working in the suburbs. And this may also provide an unexpected benefit of widening your talent pool.

By embracing this approach it has already allowed some CBD firms to reduce their head-office footprint, as more jobs relocate to the suburbs.

That said, relocating whole departments to secondary offices in the suburbs is not the complete answer. In fact, many companies are partnering with flexible workspace providers – to provide their staff with a network of locations.

The Reason being …

The real appeal of suburban alternatives is for parents wanting to separate home from work. Their main desire being … to have more space, better Internet connection and avoid unwanted noisy interruptions.

Many firms are seeking out suburban locations close to shops, childcare centres and gyms – allowing staff to fashion more appealing daily routines, while avoiding the long daily commute.

Bottom Line: You’ll find future growth will occur within the Suburban Office sector. However, employees are now looking to enjoy more attractive surroundings.

Staff will progressively start returning to the office because they crave the interaction and exchange of ideas. But they will no longer put up with the old “processing house” environment.

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