Working from home is the new standard and this will continue when Covid-19 is over. There are a lot of employers and employees who see a lot of benefits from working from home: no traffic jams, time is more flexible and for the employer: it saves a lot of money. But will this also be beneficial for the future? What about feeling lonely at home, or not having a private life anymore because your home is now your office?
In this blogpost we want to share why it is so important to still go to the office. And what price we will all pay, if we keep working from home.
The unknown price we pay
PWC Netherlands published a research where they look at the costs when we all work from home. It states that: ‘If all employees who are able to work from home, even after the corona crisis, start working an extra day from home, this could lead to costs for their employers in the long term.’
This is caused by a variety of reasons. But mostly by the ‘soft’ organisational subjects:
- If we work from home for more than three days, most of us will start to feel lonely. The more time passes by, the harder it becomes to pick up the phone and call a colleague for a private chat;
- Lack of creative energy. Working in a team or having the opportunity to ask your co-workers about their expertise can lead to wonderful ideas. When you are working from home, on your own, this will become harder. Collaborations and environments are super important when unlocking your creativity;
- Less engagement. The longer employees are working from home, the less they feel connected to the company they work at.
So what is the price we pay when we continue to work from home for the majority of the time? Accoring to the PWC research, a 10% increase in working from home will result in high costs for companies. This is due to burn-outs, less engagement and less collaboration.
The office solution
New challenges ask for new solutions. Now that we work more from home, or any place that fits our needs, the office will change also. Offices in the future will have to focus on how to bring teams together in a creative workspace, but should keep safety in mind as well.
We will be using office spaces less for working everyday for set hours, but more as a place where colleagues can come together for a creative brainstorm. The office will turn into a space where you can work remotely.
The office will become a place to collaborate, instead of a place where you just get the work done and go home after your shift. Having less time at the office with your team, means a clear planning and effective communication.
Our solution and advice
At PATboard we make products for teams that need a physical planning board, to activate the team and track the progress of any project. We believe that people are talents and that when you use a physical board, instead of a digital one, you will boost effective communication, creativity and ownership.
Besides that, we recently moved to our new office space. That is built and furnished with one goal: boost team productivity. If you want to know how we did that, and what furniture is key when designing or refurnishing your office space; contact us!
We are happy to help and provide some tips and tricks. Please let us know if we can help with finding a solution for your office!