The vaccine rollout is ushering in a return to the office as many businesses adopt hybrid working models and embrace flexible workspaces. For some employers, COVID-19 has permanently altered their expectations about where their employees will work. Some have told all but a few employees they can work fully remote forever. Examples are Novartis, Slack, and Twitter. Others plan a hybrid approach where employees will work part of the week at home and part in physical spaces. These include Ford, Google, and Nationwide. While it’s unclear now how many employers will ask employees to return to physical workplaces full time, when the time is right, there will be many.
Of course, from a social aspect, there is pent up demand for workers who miss face-to-face interaction. One thing is clear: the hybrid model will be permanent. In addition to managing the concerns about physical safety with staffers in the building, any outbreaks or high absenteeism negatively impact the bottom line and the company’s reputation. Occupier requirements are constantly evolving and they are driving new considerations for landlords and workspace providers. It takes best-of-breed technology to remove the complexity and make workspaces really work effectively while meeting the increased demands of today’s tenants.