A new survey by architect and design firm Vocon revealed that companies are seeing a drop in productivity as we enter the sixth month of navigating the pandemic.
The survey received responses from nearly 50 companies around the country, and revealed that 40% have started to see a dip as employees continue to work remotely. In comparison, 56% of business leaders rated their productivity as “excellent” in April.
“That was a really big indicator for us that things were starting to fracture,” said Megan Spinos, the director of strategy for Vocon. “What we’re seeing in the comments is that there were other implications. Companies were having a really hard time keeping their culture together and a really, really difficult time onboarding employees. The workplace was really a critical place for them.”
Respondents to the survey added that sitting in front of a computer in the same area of their home was draining, and that they missed having face-to-face interactions with colleagues. These problems were particularly bad for those who did not have a dedicated office space within their homes.
Business leaders also said that although a small portion of workers were coming back into the office, the majority would continue working from home until early next year.
“I’m seeing this need for a hybrid space that is able to support an individual but moreover to support group activity,” said Spinos. “We’re seeing a lessening of the need of individual assigned spaces.”
