In the post-pandemic world, offices will very likely never be the same again. To get a better idea of what offices will be like, we headed down to The Office, Disrupted – an exhibition put together by Paperspace Asia and DesignSingapore Council – and visited Paperspace’s new HybridWork Lab to catch a glimpse of what they envision the future of offices will look like.
Singapore was one of the first countries that reported the spread of COVID-19. On 3 April 2020, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the commencement of a circuit breaker that would eventually last close to 2 months, between 7 April 2020 to 1 June 2020. Almost overnight, most employees scrambled to transport their working documents (and even desktops in some cases) back home.
The implementation of a nationwide circuit breaker left many companies unprepared. It was a struggle for most to adapt to working from home as some employees did not have proper office set-ups (i.e. furniture or digital tools) at home, and working parents also juggled between work and caring for their children (as schools were closed too).
The immediate onboarding of digital tools was critical and telecommunicating became the default mode of work. However, the transition wasn’t an easy one. Businesses had to completely rethink their internal and external communications, workflow and project management. Plus, the increase in distractions (eg, grass-cutting, renovation works at your neighbour’s place and the bed!) for employees were ever-present.
Working from home also brought about a slew of emotional and mental health concerns among workers. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the IMH Mental Health helpline saw a 60% increase in the number of calls during the period of April to July 2020.
Today, it has been a year since circuit breaker was first implemented and many of us have adjusted to telecommuting. Even so, most employees still feel that complete remote work isn’t feasible in the long run. According to Paperspace’s Workplace Adaptation research, 96% of respondents felt that “the office is crucial for connecting with colleagues”.
That said, a post-pandemic office will be vastly different from the ones we were used to. Office spaces will have to be redesigned and equipped with furniture that cater to post-pandemic safe management measures as well as with a spotlight on employee’s health and well-being. For instance, height-adjustable desks would give employees the option of standing while they work and ergonomic chairs are perfect in supporting an employee’s sitting posture.
Meeting and collaboration spaces will also be innovated to cater to employees with different needs. For instance, sound-proof booths for video conferencing and taking phone calls may become the norm as work-from-home arrangements remain in some form in many offices.
According to Aetna International’s Business of Health 2020 report, 82% of employees tend to “feel undervalued if a company did not support their mental and physical health”. As offices evolve, the concept of work may need to be rethought by organisations as well. Increasingly, more businesses are incorporating recreational areas in their offices as part of employee welfare. From hammocks to sleeping pods to pool tables, recreational areas need not cost much. Workplace well-being is a topic of concern among many, especially having gone through a pandemic. Aside from building a productive workforce, employers should also be responsible and proactive in caring for the mental and physical well-being of their employees.
As employees gradually return to the offices, compromising on safe distancing measures is a risk that we cannot afford to be complacent about. Accept it or not, this is how future offices will look like and trust us, it is not the end to office evolution.
(Cover image credit: Truphotos for Paperspace Asia)
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