The long pandemic stopped people from going into their normal offices for over a year. Many employees are now more familiar with working at home. This change in working habits is influencing a trend in modern offices. A lot of companies are doing some refurbishing so that they would be able to attract workers again. Here are some of the common trends that experts have noticed as the world moves on from the pandemic.
More Space To Move Around
A trend that many people will see when they return to offices after the pandemic is that there is a lot more space for them. During the pandemic, social distancing was a key measure in preventing the spread of the disease. Interactions outside of the home required a six-foot distance to avoid any contamination. That will translate to more movement space in the office. No more packed cubicles and tight corridors. People are expected to not rub elbows anymore as they move around. This can be a good thing since employees won’t feel so crowded anymore.
Better Ventilation And Lighting
Another change will be a look at the lighting and ventilation in the office. New offices will need to ensure that everything meets a certain standard. Good air circulation prevents bad air from building up in a building. Office owners will want an HVAC system that ensures clean air for everyone. For example, when contacting air conditioning installers, they will be more concerned about air quality than how cold they can get to the office. Lighting is the other focus that office owners will have. Exposure to sunlight kills a lot of bacteria and disinfects in its own right. So the trend is towards making offices more open to natural light with wider windows and the like. The bonus is that it can also be good for employee morale.
Upgraded With The Right Technologies
Several technologies are becoming more common. The main ones are those that encourage contactless and touchless operations. Pretty soon, people won’t need to open a door with their hands. Sensors will track their approach and identify whether they should be allowed in. The doors will open and close on their own. Other automatic technologies are seeing popularity as many people are hesitant to touch any surface that they could share with anyone they don’t know.
Higher Focus On Cleanliness
Cleanliness and sanitation are the other focus of the future office. In the past, clutter would be left alone while some offices would develop a dirty look as the office spends money on other things. At best, they had cleaners come in once a week. Nowadays, offices are much better at being hygienic and clean. Hand sanitizers are everywhere, while cleaning personnel are a regular sight. Some technologies help with cleanliness. For example, self-cleaning coverings ensure that if an employee touches something, the bacteria won’t linger. They can help lighten the load on those cleaning the office.
Specific Purposes For The Office
Another change in the office is that going to it is now about a specific purpose. Since employees can do a lot of their work from home, the office is now a special place to do things they can’t do at home. This can range from training sessions to specialized work. For example, engineering companies might have equipment in the office that can’t be brought home. This gives employees a good reason to go to the office if they want to work. This gives them the flexibility to work from home when necessary. Going to the office can also be mainly a bonding exercise with other employees to ensure that the company has a strong internal culture.
Emphasizing Flexibility
The office of the future also focuses on being as flexible as possible. This usually reflects in their office schedule. Offering employees the chance to set their hours is the usual approach. As long as they meet a certain amount of work hours, they can come in whenever they like. This can also apply to the hours they do their work from home. A flexible workspace can be great for many workers, especially those with other responsibilities like parents or primary carers. The taste of freedom that working from home gave them will ensure that they are happy about the flexibility.
The future of the office is much different from what many expect. It is amazing what a single year of isolation can do to the culture of work. The above changes are just some of the trends affecting the public space as more and more people get back into the normal swing of things.
