Office Vs Home-What's the future?

As many of us ponder on our future style of living and working, those who have successfully adapted are already proving productive. We may not be able to predict how long the lockdown measures will be imposed but how we choose to continue, matters. The idea of working from home may have initially sparked a few concerns for both clients and candidates; how do you measure productivity successfully? However, on the whole, people have been managing the situation very well.

The block management sector has had to adapt very swiftly to ensure a smooth process for those facing a daily impact. Finding new ways to solve problems had to happen very fast and has. So how do we make decisions going forward? People simply cannot ignore the successes of lockdown. Having offices closed and people working from home may have been disruptive at first but now it must be saving some money! Is it cheaper in the long run to have a lot less office time and more people working from home? This accidental and unfortunate 'experiment' resulting in saving money should not be ignored by clients. Is your workforce happier working from home? Are your staff proving just as effective too?

Or are you someone craving for a full time return to the office, maybe home life needs to be kept completely separate for your well-being? The office offers a different social circle, resources, and IT help that you may not be able to access at home. Some people thrive on the routine of leaving their home and forgetting about things that need doing until they return later in the day. (If you are working from home it is hard to ignore those things!) The office is a means for escape, an opportunity to wear something other than 'loungewear' and somewhere to hear gossip. We all thrive in different ways but surely flexibility in where the 'workplace' is, can be determined for everyone?

So how does your company move forward? Have your staff been interviewed about how they feel going back into an office environment? Would having some set office days during the working week, alongside the remaining at home, be more effective? This may prove to be an extremely crucial period of research which could impact many lives. Which of our clients are undertaking this challenge, only time will tell? But it has to be seriously considered, not only as a cost cutting exercise and a reduction in the spread off ill-health, but as a way of ensuring all employees' mental well-being in their 'workplace'.

Being in the home vs being in the office might be on a lot of people's minds at the moment but if you already have a preference then make sure you let the relevant people know. Your opinion could be very valuable in designing your future workspace. Our working lives may feel very different right now but maybe we are just establishing a new way to continue. What is your preference: home or office or both?