The working world is currently in the thick of one of the biggest shifts it has ever witnessed. The COVID crisis has changed working life beyond pre-pandemic recognition in many companies around the world, so it’s high time design of the physical workspace caught up. That’s why reworking your office – from furniture to full fit out – in the near future will be a great investment.
Over the past 18 months or so, the workplace as we once knew it has evolved into something different, something which embraces unprecedented flexibility and an all-time high prioritisation of employee wellbeing and experience. As cultures, attitudes, and behaviours shift, they need the tangible environment supporting them to be facilitating these efforts and ambitions too.
This needs to happen sooner rather than later if you’re going to make the pre to post-pandemic transition into ‘the new normal’ as seamless and successful as possible. So in this article, we explore just some of the main reasons why an imminent rework of your office space is a wise (albeit bold) move.
It will encourage employees to want to be in the office
Following extended periods of working from home and the flexible working policies that have been filtering into companies since then, there has been a resistance to returning to the office for some employees in some industries. Some people are expressing desires to work from home (or remotely) full-time.
As seasoned experts within the workspace realm, we appreciate the undeniable value of nomadic and hybrid working but are always keen to hammer home the value the office brings to a workforce.
(We’ve covered this topic in great detail in our article about why the office is way more than just a commute destination and why it’s okay to want your staff back in the workplace. So if you want to delve into those once you’re done here, be our guest.)
But if you are going to encourage staff back to the office, you need to be more vigilant than ever in providing a physical working environment they want to be in. If you invest time, money, and energy now into creating a desirable working habitat – through design, furniture, and tech – you’ll notice a positive, knock-on impact on social capital, morale, collaboration, and staff retention.
You’ll be better prepared for the future
For many businesses, the past year has been a period of pivoting and reacting rapidly to unforeseen circumstances. For some, this has been a relatively streamline task, adjusting processes and adapting with relatively little disruption. For others, it has proved to be a real challenge.
Those who’ve found the adjustments less taxing are those who already had future-proofed workspaces and forward-thinking company cultures ready to be moulded into new formats and requirements. Those who’ve struggled are those who have offices and attitudes that are still a little ‘behind the times’, as the saying goes.
If you’re in the latter camp, take this as your cue to address any workplace issues you might be facing and how you can rethink your workspace design and company culture to ensure your business and its workforce are better equipped for the future. Don’t simply return to your outdated workspace and reinstate bygone behaviours – it won’t work in the long run.
Did you know about the Super Deduction Tax Break?
Earlier this year, the UK Treasury introduced a brand new tax break scheme to help companies claim 130% capital allowance on investments like office furniture and office fit out. The scheme is designed to encourage businesses to spend money to help the economy recover, whilst still making a saving themselves.
For example:
If you were to spend £100,000 on office furniture or an office fit out, you’d be able to reap the rewards of a whopping £24,700 saving.
There is a whole host of things you could do with an almost £25k saving – you could even cover the cost of a whole new salary to expand your team of talent!
The Super Deduction Tax Break basically means that your workspace transformation project will be most cost-effective than ever before – another reason why reworking your office space in the not-so-distant future is a great (and cost-savvy) investment.
