“What employees really want is an office that helps them easily do both collaborative and individual work, where they feel a greater sense of belonging and control over their work experience,” said Trim.<\/p>\n
In fact, most people want their own, dedicated desk so much that they are willing to trade remote workdays to get it, she said.<\/p>\n
“When asked which they would prefer, 55% would work from home two or fewer days per week if they had an assigned desk in the office<\/strong>, while only 45% prefer to work from home three or more days a week and not have an assigned desk.”<\/p>\n “The desire for a dedicated workspace reflects people\u2019s need to feel like they have a home in the office, where they feel like they belong and have the privacy they need to do their work,” Trim said.<\/p>\n Unable to find the privacy they\u2019re seeking at work, it should not be surprising that 45% of people prefer working from home, she said.<\/p>\n “Their work-from-home experience during the pandemic has shown them the value of having a place to call their own \u2013 70% of people globally have either an office or a dedicated zone within their home where they have more control over their environment.”<\/p>\n Shift in office spaces<\/strong><\/p>\n While spaces in the office for hybrid collaboration ranked first on the list of things people feel are more important than before the pandemic, it\u2019s clear that spaces where people can effectively work alone, without distractions, are critically important for people to feel their office is a great place to work, said Trim.<\/p>\n “Yet, many organisations are considering designing their offices primarily for collaboration and social connection and not realising people\u2019s increased need for privacy.<\/p>\n “In addition, organisations are shifting to more unassigned spaces as they adjust to hybrid work and new office occupancy patterns. At large organisations (10,000+ employees), 15% of employees have lost assigned desks, compared to pre-pandemic; overall, regardless of the size of the organisation, there has been a 10% decrease in employees with assigned desks.”<\/p>\n The unintended result is people feel a sense of ‘homelessness’ if they come to the office and can\u2019t find a place to work alone, she said.<\/p>\n “But the data is clear: People want and need a place to call home where they can control and adapt their environment.”<\/p>\n Problems not unique to South Africa\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Data published<\/a> <\/strong>by the Policy Institute at King\u2019s College London this week shows similar findings –\u00a0Londoners enjoy and value working from home\u00a0and don\u2019t see a future that includes a return to the old five-day office week,\u00a0no matter what politicians, their bosses or the media say.<\/p>\n Almost 80% of London-based staff who now work remotely at least once a week say the experience has been good for them. Four out of five say working from home helps them feel more in control and that they\u2019re happy to cut down on their daily commute. Two-thirds say it\u2019s helped them better manage home and family responsibilities.<\/p>\n
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