Is there a benefit of working in an office anymore?

Over the last two years both employers and employees have had to adapt to a different way of working.  During this time we have adapted to working from home, working with new systems/technologies to allow us to keep in touch and in some cases setting up work stations in our homes.

As we transition into an endemic phase a lot of employers and employees are re-evaluating how they want to work moving forward.  There has been a lot said about working from home and making that work but what about the argument for going back into the office?

Because in a lot of cases working from home has become the new normal we may have forgotten the benefits of working in the office.  Below are some reminders of what they can be.

Time Management

I am sure that we have all done extra hours because our office has been at home but when we work in an office our working day is more structured and this can lead to proper start and finish times as well as having a lunch break.  For some of us not having work encroach into our home life could be a welcome change.

Teamwork

We can underestimate how beneficial it can be to have a team that we can collaborate with.  Just having someone we can quickly ask a question of can ensure that we don’t miss something, or we find out more about a situation than we may have done if we had all been working from home.  Also how much have we missed having chats with our colleagues when it is lunch time and just catching up with what is going on in our lives.

Personal interaction

Some people have struggled throughout the pandemic, feeling anxious of what we have been through and maybe feeling isolated working from home all day every day.  Coming back into the office gives people a reason to leave their home and also allows them to build up their confidence again to lead a more normal life and most importantly have company throughout the day.

Experience/Development

When we are all in the office we can learn from each other and discuss better ways of doing things or new systems that may work better.  Being aware of what other people do in the team can help to guide us to what our next career move may be or what we want to be doing in the future so that we can develop our skills accordingly.

Now I am not saying that working from home is bad, but I think there is a lot of focus on working from home that maybe people can forget the positives of being in the office.  I feel that moving forward a lot of companies and employees will have a form of hybrid working as this gives everyone the best of both worlds.