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A lot of people saw that viral thread about remote work last week, chock full of unattributed opinion claiming that the office 'was over'.
Let's try and use some evidence... what does *published research* tell us about what's going to happen to our workplaces?
Let's try and use some evidence... what does *published research* tell us about what's going to happen to our workplaces?
Working from home hasn't been plain sailing. 65% of workers say their mental health has suffered.
https://www.ft.com/content/02d39d97-23ed-45ff-b982-7335770ae512
https://www.ft.com/content/02d39d97-23ed-45ff-b982-7335770ae512
You're not an outlier for missing the office a little.
Far from the office being 'over', there remains strong support from workers to return to the workplace in some capacity. 88% of workers support working from there some of the time.
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/topic/covid-19
Far from the office being 'over', there remains strong support from workers to return to the workplace in some capacity. 88% of workers support working from there some of the time.
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/topic/covid-19
Most workers want hybrid working. 3/4 of workers would be willing to accept a pay cut if they could carry on working from home a few days a week.
https://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/uk-office-workers-would-agree-to-pay-cut-for-remote-working/130367
https://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/uk-office-workers-would-agree-to-pay-cut-for-remote-working/130367
The reason why people want to keep working from home in some capacity? Because they can get more done than they did in the office. @Leesman_Index measured how happy people were in the offices in the old days. The average score on the Leesman Index was 63%
The best of the best on the Leesman Index scored 78%. The *average* satisfaction for working from home is 82%
The only challenge is that one single group preferred the office to remote working. It was people who had their own private spaces at work... bosses.
That said, bosses have recognised that something has changed.
@PwC published a survey of 699 bosses across 67 countries. 86% of them recognised that there will be a trend to great remote working.
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/uk-chief-executives-think-shift-towards-remote-working-will-endure-a4532851.html
@PwC published a survey of 699 bosses across 67 countries. 86% of them recognised that there will be a trend to great remote working.
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/uk-chief-executives-think-shift-towards-remote-working-will-endure-a4532851.html
The @FT reports that more than half directors of UK firms plan to cut back on office space.
https://www.ft.com/content/c4000088-c256-4d31-ba98-f695c39e6e21
https://www.ft.com/content/c4000088-c256-4d31-ba98-f695c39e6e21
According to a survey of CEOs by KPMG, 69% say they will be downsizing their office space. Nice!
https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/08/global-ceo-outlook-2020.html
A PwC survey of bosses found a near identical percentage (68%)
https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/08/global-ceo-outlook-2020.html
A PwC survey of bosses found a near identical percentage (68%)
And there is reason to believe that the market is expecting a decline in demand for offices. Bloomberg reported that their basket of real estate trusts declined 24% in 2020.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-17/office-workers-want-to-keep-working-at-home-just-not-every-day
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-17/office-workers-want-to-keep-working-at-home-just-not-every-day
Mulit-nationals like @Unilever have said the era of 5 days a week in the office 'is over'. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/13/unilever-workers-will-never-return-to-desks-full-time-says-boss
So, is the office 'over'?
No, most definitely not. 88% of workers want to be in the office some of the week because we miss:
- the sense of being part of something
- a variety of life experiences
- connecting face-to-face *as well as through a screen*
No, most definitely not. 88% of workers want to be in the office some of the week because we miss:
- the sense of being part of something
- a variety of life experiences
- connecting face-to-face *as well as through a screen*
There's plenty of evidence that when people are around other humans we find it nourishing, it energises us.
Rowers see their endorphins double when they're around others:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0670
People who sing together see the same: https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/choir-singing-improves-health-happiness-%E2%80%93-and-perfect-icebreaker
Rowers see their endorphins double when they're around others:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0670
People who sing together see the same: https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/choir-singing-improves-health-happiness-%E2%80%93-and-perfect-icebreaker
So what do we want?
Most workers want to work from home 2 or 3 days a week.
Most firms want workers to work from home 1 or 2 days a week. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-17/office-workers-want-to-keep-working-at-home-just-not-every-day
Most workers want to work from home 2 or 3 days a week.
Most firms want workers to work from home 1 or 2 days a week. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-17/office-workers-want-to-keep-working-at-home-just-not-every-day
We're quickly going to learn that the office has a Network Effect.
Firms like Basecamp who gradually went remote found that workers would journey in only to find their calls were with people dialling in from home.
The next time they debating going in they didn't bother.
Firms like Basecamp who gradually went remote found that workers would journey in only to find their calls were with people dialling in from home.
The next time they debating going in they didn't bother.
We will need to choose how we optimise this Network Effect. The most likely way is that that a co-working configured space will have certain days when set teams are expected in.
TWaTs & MoFos: some of the team on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, others on Monday/Friday
TWaTs & MoFos: some of the team on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, others on Monday/Friday
Yes - this will allow firms (who aren't in long leases) to reduce their office space by up to a third but for most firms having meeting space will remain vital.
Firms will have to decide which meetings are better on Zoom and which face-to-face.
Firms will have to decide which meetings are better on Zoom and which face-to-face.
If you're interested in how this discussion is evolving then you might enjoy Make Work Better - a weekly, evidence-based newsletter than tries to work out what work is going to look like whenever life gets back to normal. https://makeworkbetter.substack.com/
