How are offices changing?

The pandemic and hybrid working have changed the very idea of the office. This is not only changing the design and purpose of offices, but the look of cities too.

Chapters
00:00 - The office: a shifting concept
00:57 - What do future offices look like?
02:30 - The office as a social destination
03:20 - The rising demand for flexible work
04:06 - How should hybrid employees be managed?
06:01 - Will hybrid work worsen gender inequality?
06:36 - How will flexible working reshape cities?

Watch our previous video on whether workers should return to the office:

Why daydreaming is important for work:

[Alexa-uklj]

The office environment has always. been designed for extroverts and micromanagers which is the issue. Now with a society moving deeper into tech and computer-based work which is normally dominanted by introverts who deal into detail-oriented tasks, commuting to work seems ridiculous if for any reason other than to socialize with co-workers.

[thesaw]

I'm government imployed. It is law now in my country to be able to work form home. I used to spent up to 4 hours in public transport a day. I just show up 1 day a week to show my face now, because my boss likes to see my face once in a while. A shame it took a pandemic for this change. I have been working from home partially before 2020 and have been wondering since why people waste time and money on doing something you could do from home. I don't need to be physically at the office to do my job. Yes I understand some people do. For social interactions. I don't.

[jasontse]

Absolutely - companies that don't offer at least hybrid work will have a lot of difficulty in recruiting especially as the next generation of workers may have never worked 5 days in an office environment before

[wtipbot]

I don't understand the reasoning for why hybrid work will be detrimental to working moms. Wouldn't this make it much easier to balance work and childcare, especially when the partner also works under a hybrid model? It should be even more beneficial for single moms because they can save time commuting and are more flexible picking up their kids from kindergarten/school etc.

[AnirudhPsychPixel]

If people think it's business as usual post pandemic, they will pay a heavy price in mid and long term. Attrition rates will keep climbing until remote/hybrid work culture is made the norm and a choice.

[carmenthomson]

I have worked from home over 10 years, which is most of my working life. I don’t see work as work, it is part of my life. I think if you enjoy your work you never rally switch off and you don’t really want to. I am there for my family and I am there for work. It is a win win.

[poetryaddict]

I go into to the office one or two days a week. If I am forced to go in more, I will begin exploring other employment opportunities. The world has changed with covid. The office has become obsolete and executives must accept this new reality.

[polishtheday]

I wish these changes had happened before I retired. I was always happier during the times when I could work at home. The prime reason I retired early was because of the commute and mine wasn’t even that bad.
Why is the percentage of people wanting hybrid work lower for Europe and highest in the U.S.? Is it because European public transit is better? Is it density? Living closer to work? Or is it cultural?

[glow]

The company I work for did went hybrid for a month it was too challenging for the company to decide who qualify base of employees performances, attendance etc they decided to go work at home permanently. 100% of us work from home. I started WFH since the day I was hired never seen what our company looks like.

[ryanfitzalan]

I called this when the pandemic first broke out and we all went home. But i took it to another level. i think that the demand to work in offices not even associated with your company will become a trend. It will be a persons choice if they WFH or WH (work hybrid), and many young single people will pay membership to local office spaces with cool trendy concepts, like a café that has all the office amenities and is filled with other diverse young professionals from different fields. I think about how limited my social circle has gotten in my thirties, and how most people i work with are older and the office is far away. wouldn't it be nice if my close buddy who also works from home down the street from me, could go to the same office space once or twice a week and grab lunch together at a local place in our urban neighborhood? Also i think working vacations will become an industry to itself, with Airbnb and other services capitalizing on the notion of designing rentals for the WFH traveler or a group of WFH travelers. It may seem goofy, but if i can finish up my job and close my computer at the end of the day and go see a concert in a new city, or grab local food in a new country, or get some afternoon sunshine on a beach and a dip in the ocean for a long weekend before going back to somewhere north and cold, why not? i still get vacation time besides that anyways. Itsa great new evolution im excited to live through, if the global economy doesnt collapse that is....

[lilsabin]

I am still flabbergasted at how, a lot of people dont get it (CEO)... I dont want to commute, I dont want to be stuck in a cubicle for 8 hours, I dont want to hear my colleagues tell the same story every day ... Commuting means i have to wake up 2-3-4 hours before my shift start, working from home allow me to change the space from time to time ( bedroom, living room, kitchen, balcony, etc), and I dont necessarily want to know about my colleagues life, i have my own personal shiet to deal with :)

[franko]

Hybrid working not only requires a high degree of trust. Competency and discipline are crucial too!

[Robertgriffinne]

My greatest concern is how to recover from all these economic and global troubles and stay afloat especially with the political power tussle going on in the US.

[jon]

I like working from home! My supervisor is currently flexible with the hybrid option and I try to come in once a week! I may skip a week or two! Or come in twice a week depending on my mood!

[ansunair]

I think while hybrid work may pose a risk to increase the gap of discrimination against working mothers, it may also potentially bring more working mothers to the workstream, who may have left working due to household responsibility, but now can work from home as well as dedicate time to home and childcare

[christiea]

I like going to the office (single woman with no family and no friends) but like to have the option not to go in case I feel too tired or slightly sick.

[Christiane]

So! Basically going back to what a city is to be. Like London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, etc...Mixes use.

[OpEditorial]

It boils down to investment and liability, an office building that sits empty costs the companies that own them property taxes and maitenance (they're also an eyesore) so when the world got a 2 year trial run of what a waste of time and energy a commute to and from a place full of people you're at best not exactly happy to be around most of the time. They got worker friendly fast.

[jessedameron]

Wow. Very informative and very well-done video.

[Munchausenification]

I hate this so much. I like structure and clear lines between what is work and what is leisure. There is no way i can "relax" in a bar at work, its just fluff that does nothing for me.