After working from home for more than a year, 85 percent of employees want to get back to office, but with the flexibility to switch between the two options, a survey by Space Matrix showed.
One-third of the 1,000 employees surveyed said working from home made them less productive because of inadequate technology and resources as well as domestic distractions, which affect focus and quality.
Pandemic-induced restrictions have forced companies to have their employees work from home and prompted many leading corporations to consider various options for the future, including a hybrid model.
When questioned about why they would want to return to office, 43 percent of the respondents in the survey on the future of workspaces said they would be able to collaborate and work as a team with greater efficiency.
Another 37 percent felt working from an office gave them flexibility of choosing from a variety of individual and collaborative workspaces as well as greater access to technology.
The Way We Work survey by the multinational workplace design consultancy firm also said that work from home makes people less productive.
Thirty percent of the respondents said collaboration suffered due to inadequate digital communication and coordination. There was also a prevalent feeling of isolation among such people, it said.
Another 30 percent respondents complained of being overworked due to longer working hours and inability to follow a schedule at home. Many of them believed work-life balance was better while working from an office, it said.
“With more than a year into the predominantly remote working environment, there have been a lot of observations related to productivity, organizational efficiency, business growth and above all the ‘employee wellness’ aspect. Business leaders are increasingly focusing on ensuring safe, stimulating and comfortable work processes in their organizations,” said Titir Dey, director - Design, Space Matrix.
From the workspace perspective, there is a strong need for hybrid workspaces which can seamlessly accommodate changing needs for dedicated individual workspaces, collaborative environment, employee wellness as well as technology driven operations, she said.
With vaccination underway and people becoming accustomed to pandemic protocols, there are discussions regarding whether work-from-home, work-from-office or a more flexible, technology-driven hybrid workspace model would dominate the future of offices, she said.
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