What To Anticipate From The Future Of The Workplace

The future of the workplace has been a hot topic of conversation. Companies have been trying to navigate the best strategies to keep workers safe, while simultaneously recovering from an unprecedented health crisis.

At a recent webinar, a panel of JLL executives discussed what return-to-office policies may look like, and what employees should expect from the future. 

One thing that seems certain is that there is no “returning to normal.” For employers, they will need to be able to explain exactly why they want employees back into the office. If not, it can muddy and complicate their return-to-office strategy.

“A physical office reinforces culture, drives collaboration and innovation, enables professional growth and brings a company’s best to its clients and employees,” said John Gates, CEO, Americas Markets at JLL.

The executives also discussed the recovery of the office market, which was looking optimistic until the Delta variant caused a huge spike in cases over the summer. 

According to JLL’s “comeback index,” which analyzes data from leasing activity, unemployment claims and more, the office sector reached peak activity in July. Since then, the index has shown a slowdown of office takeup.

However, JLL Chief Research Officer Ben Breslau said that they are only expecting short-term delays due to Delta and that the market is unlikely to see a long-term slowdown.