Corporate occupiers accelerating the return to normality

Corporate occupiers are enabling a return to offices across most markets, with occupancy rising gradually in most locations. Hybrid work appears to be the predominant way forward as corporates look for the right solution to meet workforce needs. Creating the optimum remote-working policies, adjusting the working environment for more demanding employees and enabling a high level of performance in offices is complex and requires significant investment in the short and long term. At the same time, employees are still expecting greater flexibility, more choice and empowerment.

While the pandemic has tested people’s resilience, with stress, fatigue and burnout commonplace among workers, very few have managed to avoid the effects of lockdowns and restrictions on their lives. The crisis has shown that people can manage and cope with personal struggles and change with minimal losses while remaining optimistic, but there is an underlying threat to health.

As corporate occupiers enable a return to offices across most markets and communicate clear messages around ‘return’ policies to entice the workforce to come together in physical environments, ten trends are going to influence workplace and workforce strategies.

The return to the office must be carefully orchestrated and not rushed. Even though there are signs that activities and commuting is picking up, the pandemic is not over, infections are not slowing down and large-scale events are increasing in frequency, providing an opportunity for COVID to spread. The role of employers and occupiers must be to put people at the center of their considerations and genuinely take care of their health and wellbeing to achieve sustainable performance, as well as build healthy and equitable societies to support a workforce under significant pressure.