While the pandemic may have led to the shift, remote working has become the norm for many companies across the globe. Whether this involves multinational corporations or young startups, working from home has managed to stick around for longer than many expected. Although, over the past year, many companies have begun calling employees back to physical offices, often with noticeable backlash.
So, with more and more companies switching back to previous working methods, has remote working had its day? Well, to better understand, let’s look at some benefits of working from a physical office.
Benefits of Working From a Physical Office
Work-Home Balance
With remote working, the divide between work life and home life has been skewed. As employees are spending their entire work time and leisure time at home, it is difficult to differentiate between the two. This can often lead to a lack of proper time management and difficulty managing both sides of life. On the other hand, a physical office creates a clear distinction between work and home.
In-Office Benefits for Employees
Working from a physical office is followed by a plethora of benefits for employees. Whether this is in-office meals, electronic devices, or even just coffee, there is a lot of opportunity to provide physical benefits. These can not only improve your motivation but can end up saving time and money when compared to a Work-from-home (WFH) role.
Higher Sense of Belonging
As the pandemic saw many people never having met their team or go to a physical company location, there was often a lack of belonging. Specifically, an employee may not feel like they belong in the company as they have had minimal real-world interaction with it. Physical offices are the complete opposite and can help to instil a deep sense of belonging and motivation with employees actively working with company individuals and items.
Social Interaction for Employees
Spending the whole day at home can leave employees with minimal social interaction with each other and even in society as a whole. Going to the office helps provide an environment wherein communication and relationships are promoted, so, employees can gain positive emotional growth through physical offices.
Boost to Many Local Businesses
As an increasing number of companies purchase physical offices a large amount of money is spent on real estate, furniture, equipment, etc. This money can provide a boost to local businesses and promote an area’s economic situation.
Guarantee of Workplace Standards
Working at home, employees can occasionally forget the level of professionalism needed as they are in a relaxed environment. While this is not always the case, it can occasionally lead to a lack of workplace professionalism which is not ideal for businesses. Physical offices are a clear solution to this as they are able to maintain a clear distinction for workplace standards.
The Public Divide
While there are benefits to physical offices, the same can be said for remote working. Due to the split advantages, many people are still reluctant to make the shift back to in-office roles. In particular, large companies such as Apple are facing internal backlash for reducing their remote working allowances. Thankfully, a solution in the form of a hybrid working model seems to be working in many cases.