Over a number of months in late 2020 the Design Strategy Unit, a partnership between Scott Brownrigg and iPWC undertook a survey with employees from across a number of different industries to understand how the impact of COVID-19 will influence our re-occupation of offices and how employees want to work in the future.

The insightful results enable companies to make informed evidence-based decisions on how their offices should be re-occupied in the mid to long term and any interior design solutions that are needed as a consequence.

Whilst respondents were cross-industry, 35% were from the Property and Construction industry and 18% were from finance and insurance. 77% of respondents were CEO/President/Director/Department Head/Manager level and 77% were Generation X/Gen Y/ Millennials.

It was clear from the findings that 95% want to work remotely some of the working week, with 47% wanting to work remotely 1-2 days per week and 36% wanting to work remotely 3-5 days per week.

So how did they feel about their productivity levels when working remotely? Well 86% agree that their home environment enables them to work productively and 82% feel their employer supports them in working remotely.

Whilst some may find it difficult to switch off from work when at home, 56% feel they are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance and clearly enjoy the benefits this gives with 50% of participants citing less commuter time, flexibility of schedule and more time with the family as the main benefits of working from home.

So do they feel there is still a place for ‘the office’ in the long term? Well 80% believe that the office is still essential and useful and will continue to be in a post-covid world. However, they felt that the type of office and how it will be occupied will change.

36% still prefer going to a primary office or HQ, however 33% would prefer being part of a co-working or shared space and 21% feel that working from a more easily accessible regional office would be beneficial. And in terms of their reason for going into the office, 66% of survey participants gave social interaction with colleagues and meetings as their primary motivation for going into the office on any given day.

This is just a small percentage of the types of questions that were asked within the survey. However these findings clearly reinforce Design Strategy Units’ belief that the office will move away from a work focussed environment to a more collaborative, project-focussed one; providing a forum for creative collaboration, exploration and discovery. One that also encourages healthy living, together with a healthy planet, with sustainability, wellness and collaboration at its very heart.

We can help you address the current workspace challenges you are facing through evidence-led research and fully integrated workplace design. Uniquely we can offer a continuity of service, providing staff engagement, analysis and seamless delivery of your workplace strategy in parallel with test fits and interior design enabling a fresh vision for your workplace.

If you would like advice on your current real estate portfolio or workspace or would like to access the full survey results please get in touch – enquiries@designstrategyunit.com