With much of the world entering the seventh month of working from home, flexible working is expected to be a permanent fixture of the workplace moving forward. So what comes next?
First, it is clear that flexible working is officially the norm. The days of traditional 9 to 5 schedules and presenteeism will not be signifiers of success in the workplace.
However, the limitations of remote working have become increasingly highlighted as time goes on. That means companies need to find a healthy balance between working from home and in the physical office that suits all work styles.
Although flexible and remote working are often used interchangeably with working from home, this is not necessarily the case. Working flexibly can also mean working in a coworking or shared workspace, which can offer employees a brand new work experience outside of the traditional or home office.
Additionally, corporates have increasingly started utilizing coworking spaces in order to de-densify their main offices, while providing a place for employees to work in suburban areas.
Without strong ties to the physical workplace, business leaders will need to make an extra effort to maintain some semblance of work culture. Studies have indicated the organizations who have a strong culture produce higher quality work, as well as retain top talent.