See the article below from the Puget Sound Business Journal. There are a variety of solutions being envisioned. As you can see, it is not totally clear what the end result will be in how work is conducted in the future, and how much office space will be needed.
Study: Most employers say they will allow remote work post-pandemic
“Based on the findings of a new study in the post-pandemic world, people will work from multiple locations in any given week, whether at the office, home or public spaces like cafés.“By Marc Stiles – Senior Staff Writer, Puget Sound Business Journal
“It’s widely accepted that after the pandemic most people will work both in the office and remotely. A new study sheds light on what that this hybrid approach will look like, including some employees willing to personally pay for office space.
“In a blind study, WeWork and HR research and advisory company Workplace Intelligence asked 2,000 employees and executives their views on hybrid work. They found 95% of employees want some control over how, where and when they work, with a similar percentage of bosses who said they're willing to give them that control.
“Among executives, 79% said they plan to let employees split time between corporate offices and remote locations, if their jobs allow it.
“This does not bode well for the owners of office space, since less time in the office likely would reduce demand for office space.
“Yet a different survey — this one by professional services firm KPMG and released last month — found most major global companies no longer plan to reduce their use of office space after the pandemic. Just 17% of chief executives plan to cut back on offices, down from 69% in August.
“‘Either downsizing has already taken place, or plans have changed as the impact of extended, unplanned, remote working has taken a toll on some employees,’ KPMG said.
“Based on the findings of the WeWork/Workplace Intelligence study, in the new hybrid model employees will work from multiple locations in any given week, including their home, company headquarters, satellite offices, coworking spaces, and public spaces like libraries and cafés.
“After Covid-19, employees want to spend 36% of their time at the headquarters, 30% of their time working from home, and 34% of their time at satellite offices, coworking/flexible shared spaces or public spaces.
“Bosses, however, would prefer that employees spend 53% of their time in an office and 47% of their time working from home or public spaces.
“One of the most surprising findings was that nearly two-thirds of employees said they would personally pay for access to an office in a location of their choice, while three-quarters of executives said they're likely to give employees a stipend to work form home or a coworking space.
“Three-quarters of employees said they would be willing to give up at least one benefit or perk, including health care coverage and paid-time off, for the freedom to choose their work environment.
“‘People inherently want more freedom in their lives, including control over when, where and how they work. ... The sooner companies accept, promote and adapt to a hybrid work model, the better it will be for everyone,’ Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Workplace Intelligence, said in a news release.”
