Most pandemic-era restrictions have been lifted, but there’s one COVID-19 holdover that’s still going strong. Office spaces are going unused as employees push to keep working from home.
Not only is it more convenient, but studies show that working from home can actually be more productive.
Nevertheless, bosses are still trying to come up with ways to bring back the pre-pandemic norm of spending 40 hours a week typing away in offices and cubicles.
The end of business as usual
While the goal of many companies is to get workers back into the office, executives seem to understand that they’ll need to make it an inviting space. Building on earlier efforts to inject fun and innovation into the workplace, there’s a new trend underway that seeks to make offices seem much more like home.
It’s been dubbed “office peacocking” and in many cases it goes much further than just some new furniture and funky artwork.
Benefiting from the fact that some employees will continue working from home, at least for part of the week, designers have more open space to work with … and the sky’s the limit.
Investing in innovation
As anyone who’s remodeled their home already knows, it’s not cheap to rethink the design of any property. And the firms that are helping companies become peacocks are charging big bucks to achieve the desired results.
But in the end, employers hope the collaboration and teamwork that can result from an inviting space will make it worth the investment.
Here are some features you’re increasingly likely to find in a modern office:
- Comfy couches
- Natural lighting
- Bright accents
- Living plants
It’s all designed to welcome workers back — and after three years lounging around in their living rooms, many of those workers will need all the motivation they can get.
