Employees spending more time in the office as companies tighten home working rules

An increasing number of companies are requesting that staff return to the office, either full time or for an agreed number of days per week.

Big names such as Amazon, PwC and Santander have all recently reported that they are asking staff who work from home to come back into the office, with Amazon ordering all staff back in five days a week and Santander and PwC enforcing a rule of being on site for at least 3 days a week.

According to Michael Porter, group managing director of leading moveable wall specialists, Style, this post-Covid shift of reducing home working and reinvesting in office-based activity will continue to reshape our working environments with adaptable, flexible and collaborative office space being key to business success.

However, he also believes that rather than simply telling employees to come back into work, it’s important to encourage them back into the office by making it a place that’s enjoyable and inspiring.

“For many years now we have seen significant changes in the way our workplaces are designed,” said Michael.

“The old, rigid model of having allocated desks for members of staff, offices for managers, traditional meeting rooms, plus a staff canteen has evolved significantly into the agile, hot desk environments we now come to expect.

“Relaxing breakout areas, collaborative spaces, impromptu meeting booths and wellbeing zones are all now expected. With more workers being asked to come back into the office, having become used to home-working, the agility and dynamism of all types of workspace will be key; not only in creating a flexible working environment but also one that motivates employees to return to.

“We have seen this first hand with an increasing number of highly innovative uses of moveable, sliding and folding walls which we have installed to reflect some pioneering visions by architects, interior designers and clients to make their buildings a place that staff enjoy spending time in.

“Our working walls are a great example of this. These agile, floating panels offer a more open and flexible work culture by removing the usual barriers of meeting and training rooms, segregated work desks and cubicles.

“Instead they offer companies a space where individuals can group together, team up quickly on projects, share ideas and change their environment to suit the task in hand.

“We’re also seeing a rising number of moveable walls being used to section off games rooms where staff can enjoy, for example, a game of pool during their break, or simply create quiet areas where they can remove themselves from the bustle of the main office to recharge their batteries.

“As the UK’s market leading moveable walls specialist, we have extensive case studies which can provide inspiration for how space can be used, we also have a team of designers who can advise on the most suitable options according to the space available, and we have an impressive showroom in London where architects, specifiers, contractors and end-user clients can see a wide range of moveable, sliding and folding walls in situ.”

For more information, please contact your nearest regional Style office.