The Best of Both Worlds: When WFH Meets the Office

While many of us have enjoyed collaborating in person and getting back to (a new) normal, there are a few WFH comforts that people are keen to keep.

As businesses return to the office, we’ve been getting face-to-face with our colleagues again, relishing those water-cooler moments and brainstorming without video call glitches. And while it’s nice to wave goodbye to the downfalls of WFH, there are a handful of perks we’ll miss – even in a hybrid working world.

Though we initially developed these habits as coping mechanisms for the stress and boredom of lockdown, a cancelled commute and the comfort of our own homes carved out space for consistent exercise regimes, quiet time, and new hobbies. And employees don’t want to give those habits up.

In a recent LinkedIn poll, we asked: Which WFH perks would you want to see in your office? The results were an extremely close call. 26% of 825 respondents said relaxation space & quiet zones, 26% said access to outdoor space, 24% said pet-friendly workspaces and 23% said midday workouts.

Celebrating the best of both worlds

These changing demands are driving new ‘office experiences’, where the office begins to function as a lifestyle destination – or a hotel-like experience – to incentivise a commute, retain top talent and inspire healthy, happy workforces.

For example, Working From_Southwark, a flexible office space created by The Hoxton Hotel, offers coworking space that “feels like home.” And its hospitality roots take this a step further; members can enjoy hotel perks such as duvet days, and “exclusive late-night rates for when you’re burning the midnight oil”. Plus, it features a rooftop wellness studio with views across London and a programme of classes.

At Working From_Southwark, members can enjoy hotel perks such as duvet days, and “exclusive late-night rates for when you’re burning the midnight oil”.

Likewise, flexible office provider Fora features sleep pods for power naps in its Brick Lane space. It also has a cinema/screening room with an 85-inch screen and an amazing terrace with views of London.

Amanda Lim, Head of our Flexible Office Solutions team explains: “It’s all about balance. Employees want a workspace that fuels their productivity and wellbeing. Teams don’t want to return to old school offices – nobody wants to be stuck in a box of desks right now. They want roof terraces to enjoy lunch with their friends on. They want breakout spaces so they can hop into a communal area and have a quick chat about something.”

It’s all about balance. Employees want a workspace that fuels their productivity and wellbeing.

Amanda Lim

Head of Flexible Office Solutions

A place to collaborate and be alone

Collaborating remotely is doable, but it’s not as easy, organic or inspiring as when people are physically in the same space. That’s why in-person collaboration was the strongest driver to get back to the office, with 62% of our 811 poll respondents citing it as the thing they’re most looking forward to.

But in order to truly celebrate the best of both worlds, offices need to give employees space to be alone – 24% of our poll respondents said they wanted relaxation space & quiet zones in their workplaces.

Creatives need it to knuckle down on tasks, introverts need it to recharge, and some of us really enjoy the solitude of WFH. Phone booths, pods and places to relax are becoming more and more common to help with this.

Collaborating remotely is doable, but it’s not as easy, organic or inspiring as when people are physically in the same space.

Helping us to disconnect

In our digitally connected world, push notifications allow us to be reached at any hour of the day, while our smartphones, VPNs and single sign-ons allow us to constantly check our emails, workflows and projects. Disconnecting entirely is a difficult feat – downtime isn’t exclusively downtime.

Understandably, Covid-led working from home has exacerbated the issue. Without the physical separation of work and life, one spills into the other. It’s not uncommon to be winding down in the evening mere metres away from the glare of your laptop.

In fact, the UK is reportedly in the midst of a ‘hidden overtime pandemic.’ According to a new report by independent think tank Autonomy, a growing number of Britons are working longer days and finding themselves ‘on call’ outside of their contracted hours.

Autonomy’s Director of Research says Covid has “accelerated the need to create much clearer boundaries between work-life and home-life”.

By physically separating work and life, offices go some way to help us disconnect, but access to green space, quiet areas, recreational activities – and even meditation tents in some instances – will play a crucial role in workplace wellbeing, and long-term employee happiness. 

Offices of the future need to curate the best of both worlds – and many already do.