It has become widely agreed that when employees are not tethered to the office, they are more likely to stay longer. An international panel at Innovation 2019 agreed, saying that the tech boost of the 2000s caused many workplaces to become more open and flexible.
โThe workplace is now virtually almost all open plan. One-to-one desking is now quite rare: itโs at most eight desks for every 10 people, and often six,โ said Martin Sellar, Programmes Director for the UKโs Government Property Agency. โI donโt think itโs unreasonable to think that in the civil service we may move to one desk for every five people in a few yearsโ time.โ
Stellar said that 70% of government departments are expected to offer more efficient working standards by 2020.
Mark Gray, Director of Digital Transformation at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), revealed that 91% of its staff worked remotely every quarter, which in turn saved it ยฃ20 million on property costs.
Additionally, as communication technologies have improved, CPS has been able to divide teams across different regions depending on their tasks. Gray said that remote-access is accessible to most now through cloud software and video conferencing.
โAnyone who has worked in a building thatโs modern, with break-out space, and in a more traditional office without one, it blows your mind,โ said Sellar.
