As much of the British population is already vaccinated, people are starting to return to the office. However, the pandemic has certainly changed the way that people live their lives and the way in which businesses operate. This has lead many people questioning what the post-COVID workplace will look like.
Will Everyone Return to Work?
The first question that will be asked when deciding is quite simple – will everyone go back to work? Well, there are two areas of focus when answering this question, the first is what employees want, and the second is what is best for businesses.
Studies have found that there is significant demand from employees to return to the office. 75% of people surveyed said that they would be happy to return to the office once fully vaccinated. A further 78% of those surveyed said that they would like to return to the office, but not on a full-time basis. This trend of hybrid/remote work seems to be quite popular with business owners too.
When the pandemic first struck, many were concerned about its effect on output, productivity and quality. However, the pandemic has shed new light on remote working.
Studies also revealed that remote workers tend to be much more productive and efficient than their in-office counterparts. Remote workers take fewer breaks, are less distracted and are less frequently late to work.
Both the preferences from businesses and workers seem to suggest that some form of hybrid, remote and in-office work should be expected in the post-pandemic future. It’s likely that as more and more people become vaccinated, employees might expect to gain more choice over where they work.
What Will the Office Space Look Like?
Aside from being less crowded, as a big portion of the workforce is expected – at least in part – to continue working from home, what other changes will there be?
The first change that you should expect to see in the post-pandemic workspace is a change in cleaning schedules. Business owners will be forced to place the safety of their workforce at the top of the list. One of the ways in which this prioritisation of safety will manifest is through routine deep cleaning. More businesses will employ industrial cleaning services on a regular basis to ensure their working environment is safe and sanitised.
Aside from your working environment being much cleaner than it used to be, your workspace will also display social distancing rules. You should expect your office space to be completely rearranged, as managers work to create as socially distanced an environment as possible. This means moving away from the trend of communal working spaces to more closed-off cubicles.
Although more regimented with increased cleaning and safety measures, in some ways, the post-pandemic workspace will be much more flexible. This means that employees will likely be offered more flexible working hours, as employers now realise the benefits of working to an employee’s preferred schedule. You should also expect less formal dress codes in the future.
