The ‘new normal’ is a new, evolving way of working triggered by the global pandemic where companies became more aware of flexible working potential out of necessity. Before the pandemic, only 20% of workers worked from home all or most of the time but in 2020 through government mandate, more than 70% of workers were doing all or most from home. This doesn’t mean that working from home is the desired norm though.

Half of 530 senior leaders surveyed by YouGov for the BBC stated workers staying at home would negatively affect both creativity and collaboration as did over a third of the general public. And nearly 9 out of 10 of UK employees would be happiest with a fully flexible approach to returning to the office, where they could work as many days remotely or from the office as they wished. This means that there are office design changes needed to implement this ‘new normal’ successfully and get employees to embrace the office as well as remote working.

Office design for flexible working

Creating a community

Coming into the office has got to be seen as a welcome break from home and appealing enough that it is perceived as a pleasant aspect of a job and not one to put up with.

Collaboration and creativity are key aspects of employees coming into an office and so creating the feel of a community by using office design will help employees enjoy ‘office days’ as much as home days. A more comfortable working s

pace with spaces to interact as well as facilities to help hold meetings in a socially distanced manner will become essential.  Making use of a serviced office space that has meeting rooms available for use means you don’t need to pay more for space only used on occasion.  Making these meetings fun with refreshments and personnel updates will ensure meetings are more ‘latest news’ than ‘total snooze.’

Safety first

People are still nervous about new strains of COVID19, so office design needs to always bear safety in mind. Good ventilation, outside spaces, social distancing, and initiatives for regular testing all need to be a key part of working practice, and employees need to be aware that their safety comes first.  This might mean using multiple smaller spaces spread over a serviced office space, or choosing an office space provider with flexible contracts that mean you can scale up or down as you need to.

Serviced offices in Surrey

If you’re looking for a new office space to embrace ‘the new normal’ in 2022, with a range of office spaces, meeting rooms, stunning country views, good ventilation, and flexible contracts, get in touch with SEND Business Park.