Many of us have been working from home continuously, or on and off for the last year. Offices up and down the country have been left unoccupied, or are forever changed with the introduction of acrylic screens on desks, hand sanitiser stations, and one-way social distancing circulation. 

All of this, while a little strange to get used to at first, is helping prevent the spread of the virus, and keeping us safe. We are grateful, but we can also acknowledge that this isn’t normal and makes us feel sad that we have to communicate and interact with others in such a separate and distant way, for now at least.

But what does this mean for offices in the future? How will the physical landscape of the working world change moving forward? We will explore some of the different ways in which offices could change post-covid in this blog below.

Will we continue to work from home?

While it’s important to factor in covid safety into the current work environment, the hope is that we will move to a position, globally, where these adaptations to our working life are no longer needed. But, it will no doubt leave a lasting impression on us. So how will our working environment change moving forward?

Companies, presumably, will continue to have some form of working from home flexibility for their employees. While working from home full-time is not for everyone, there are many benefits to having more flexibility with home working. And, it has been proved that we can work from home perfectly fine, and there is no reason to prevent people in the future from doing so if that is what they prefer and wish.

Another evolution that has really boomed during the last year is video conferencing in replace of face-to-face meetings. This will continue to help avoid unnecessary travel and further aid home working.

Redesigning the office space

When it comes to office refurbishment in a post-covid world, things will be different. But, above all, staff wellbeing should be at the forefront of office space and design. Wellbeing is intrinsically linked to staff physical and mental health and absenteeism. 

Already, our home offices have become normalised, in particular, the idea of working in our kitchens or living rooms is commonplace, especially with pets (or children!) making frequent appearances in the background of our conference calls.

Contact Wessex Interiors

If you’re interested in office refurbishment, particularly for a project in Southampton or Portsmouth, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our friendly and professional team today by calling 02380 663 100, or through filling out our online enquiry form, and we’ll be in touch.