work life

Fixing America’s Office Culture Will Take More Than Ending Remote Work

Getting employees back to their desks is just the beginning. Fixing America’s Office Culture Will Take More Than Ending Remote Work Shutterstock

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Workers in various industries were given a taste of the work-from-home revolution when the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that was a welcome reprieve from office life for millions of people, it exacerbated a growing problem for companies and the owners of office buildings everywhere.

Now, some people think that requiring employees to return to the office is all it will take to address these issues … but that might just be wishful thinking.

Understanding the situation

In reality, the problems current facing U.S. office buildings predate the pandemic. And even though “return-to-work” orders are getting a lot of media attention, they’re not really accomplishing all that much.

For example, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has advocated for a return to the pre-pandemic norms of spending five days a week in offices. As tons of job vacancies go unfilled, however, even he is wondering if such a solution is even feasible. Workers have become used to being able to do their jobs without commuting to and from an office — and they’re understandably reluctant to give up that newfound freedom.

Other serious office problems

The troubling truth is that there’s a confluence of issues contributing to the current state of affairs, most of which don’t have a direct connection to pandemic-era shutdowns.

Here are a few:

  • Technology has made it possible for many employees to work remotely.
  • Rising interest rates have made office leases even more unaffordable.
  • Layoffs mean there are even fewer employees to call back to the office.

The end result is escalating vacancies, which in turn leads to plummeting values for office buildings. It’s a vicious loop that ultimately takes a big bite out of the economy in cities hit especially hard by the continuing issue.

Chris Agee
Chris Agee May 16th, 2023
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