Reports show that bosses are increasingly asking employees to return to the office on a more permanent basis, in a return to the pre-pandemic working environment. The problem is many don’t want to come back in that capacity and would prefer a hybrid model to their working lives.
Naidoo said that employers asking staff back to the office is less about physically returning to work, but more about company culture and the employee value proposition. She said there is nothing inherently wrong with being back in the office, workers simply want to know the rationale behind it. “People need to give a reason for workers to come back to the office. They want so much more,” said Trim.
The study conducted by Steelcase, represented by Giant Leap, revealed that the most important factor for people in office now, compared to pre-pandemic, is privacy. More employees want spaces for hybrid collaboration, single-person enclaves, privacy, workstations with full or partial enclosure and reservable work areas.