{"id":1256,"date":"2021-02-22T20:12:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T09:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apexei.com.au\/blog\/?p=1256"},"modified":"2026-01-26T21:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T10:04:38","slug":"what-the-work-from-home-shift-means-for-your-office-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apexei.com.au\/blog\/what-the-work-from-home-shift-means-for-your-office-space\/","title":{"rendered":"What the work-from-home shift means for your office space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crises often accelerate change in the workplace and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. During WWI it was women filling factory jobs for the first time. Today, it\u2019s a widespread shift to flexible working that encompasses old-school sectors as well as tech-savvy ones.<\/p>\n

While more workers have been returning to the office over the past few months (the recent Melbourne lockdown aside), a report<\/a> of some of Australia\u2019s largest organisations found that almost two-thirds of employees want a hybrid model where they work from home part of the time.<\/p>\n

So what does this shift mean for workspaces in 2021? Here we explore a few of the key impacts for employers to bear in mind, particularly when considering their next commercial lease or office purchase.<\/p>\n

Less is more<\/h4>\n

With fewer employees in the office full-time, the chances are you\u2019re operating at reduced capacity. If this is the case, then it could be time to downsize your office space. With the average prime grade commercial lease rates in Sydney CBD at net rental levels of $900 to $1000 per square metre per annum, you don\u2019t want to be forking out for space you don\u2019t use. Options to consider include subleasing unwanted space, or relocating to a smaller space when your current lease expires. And whether you stay or go, there may be scope to negotiate more favourable conditions<\/a>. Most capital cities have seen leasing activity soften during COVID placing more pressure on landlords to increase incentives and consider your demands, including more flexible lease terms. Just make sure you take account of physical distancing rules when calculating your floor space.<\/p>\n

Smarter spaces<\/h4>\n

To reflect the move to flexible work practices and make the best use of the space you have, you\u2019ll need an office layout<\/a> that\u2019s more malleable too. For instance, if you have a worker who\u2019s only in on Tuesdays and Thursdays you don\u2019t want to be paying for a dedicated workspace and hardware that sits there doing nothing for three days a week. Multi-use workspaces that can double up as, say, meeting or conference areas when the user is at home, are a smarter way to go, and you can provide employees with laptops to use in both locations. You\u2019ll also need to allow for different preferences regarding, for instance, sit and stand desks<\/a> and quieter workspaces versus more open plan areas.<\/p>\n

Investing in tech<\/h4>\n

According to a poll<\/a> by McKinsey & Company, COVID-19 triggered a decade of digitisation in six months. If your internal operations are still functioning as they were before COVID struck, then it\u2019s time for an upgrade. This means having the right tech to enable both your office-based and remote workers (and clients) to work together with ease. Think virtual conferencing equipment, collaboration software, and the like. If you\u2019re putting a new office space together from scratch, it\u2019s a good idea to factor in sound-rated meeting rooms with the right infrastructure. Digital booking systems, which allow staff to reserve a meeting room either at the door via an iPad, or online, are worth considering, too.<\/p>\n

Hygiene practices<\/h4>\n

One good thing to come out of COVID is that our office hygiene habits have significantly improved. Now with more workers coming in and out of what could be a smaller space, it\u2019s crucial these practices continue. The best way to do this is to make someone on your team responsible for enforcing COVID-safe rules. They can ensure sanitation stations are well stocked, check COVID-safe signage, and remind staff of the 1.5-metre physical distancing rule. They’ll also need to make sure the building manager is fulfilling their responsibilities. To minimise the transmission of germs, plastic screens between desks may be required. Workers should also be provided with their own keyboards and a ready supply of disinfectant. Keyboards and desktops in general have been shown to harbour more germs than the average toilet seat!<\/p>\n

Remote responsibilities<\/h4>\n

Whether your staff work from home or the office, you still have a duty of care for their wellbeing. Out of sight out of mind is not the way to go. This is particularly the case when it comes to home workspace ergonomics. If a worker is spending a few days a week hunched over their laptop at the kitchen table, you could be liable for injuries that might arise. The same goes for poor seating, lighting and electrics. As such, it\u2019s a good idea to conduct a full ergonomics assessment to ensure you address any hazards. It\u2019s also important to pay attention to your employees\u2019 mental health. Frequent \u2018check ins\u2019 with remote workers are vital, including one-on-ones when staff will typically feel more comfortable airing personal concerns.<\/p>\n

Of course, if one thing is certain in our post-COVID world it\u2019s that uncertainty reigns. Just as the recent Melbourne lockdown has shown us, circumstances and rules can change from one day to the next. With this in mind, regularly check the Australian Government\u2019s COVID-19 website<\/a> for news and advice (including links to the latest information from your local state government) and adapt your work policies and office space accordingly.<\/p>\n

For advice on everything from negotiating your next lease to designing a new office space, contact<\/a> the experts at Apex Executive Interiors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crises often accelerate change in the workplace and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. During WWI it was women filling factory jobs for the first time. Today, it\u2019s a widespread shift to flexible working that encompasses old-school sectors as well as tech-savvy ones. While more workers have been returning to the office over the past<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat the work-from-home shift means for your office space<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While more workers are returning to the office post-COVID, the work from home shift is here to stay. 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