This article is based on the Allwork.Space Future of Work Podcast episode “Why Employees Still Skip the Office—and What Workplace Design Can Do About It with Wesley Edmonds.” Click here to watch or listen to the full episode.
Hybrid work is no longer up for debate in most organizations. The real challenge now sits elsewhere: what makes the office worth the trip when employees already have a fully functional workspace wherever they are.
In a recent episode of The Future of Work® Podcast, Frank Cottle spoke with Wesley Edmonds, Director of Workplace at OFS, about how workplace design is being rethought around autonomy, experience, and real human needs rather than static layouts or surface-level amenities.
The office has to earn the commute
Edmonds describes hybrid work as the baseline reality across most industries, with very few roles still tied to five days a week on-site schedules. That change has exposed a gap between how workplace attendance is measured and how work actually happens.
She points out that tracking badge swipes or physical presence does little to explain productivity or engagement. Attendance data alone, she argues, misses the reason people are in a space in the first place. That gap has pushed organizations toward environments that feel intentional and worth the commute, rather than default office settings.
Choice and autonomy now sit at the center
A recurring theme in Edmonds’ perspective is autonomy. Employees are not only deciding whether to come in, but what kind of space they need once they arrive.
Some days require focused, individual work. Others depend on group collaboration or client meetings. She describes workplace demand as highly variable, which places pressure on office design to support multiple work modes within the same footprint.
Research referenced in the conversation highlights that a significant share of employees would consider leaving a role if the workplace experience falls short, reinforcing how physical environment now factors into retention.
One layout no longer fits how people work
Edmonds notes that workplaces need to account for different working styles, levels of focus, and even sensory preferences. Some employees perform best in quiet environments, while others prefer more active, social settings.
That range has shifted design priorities away from fixed-purpose rooms toward flexible spaces that can support multiple uses throughout the day.
She also points out that work is increasingly shaped by life outside the office, including caregiving responsibilities, commuting constraints, and hybrid routines that vary week to week. Office design now has to accommodate those realities rather than assume a standard schedule.
AI adds pressure to rethink flexibility
Artificial intelligence is also influencing how workplaces are planned. Edmonds highlights the need for environments that can adapt as job functions change, particularly as AI takes on repetitive tasks and reshapes how teams allocate time.
That creates a need for spaces that can support changing workflows without requiring constant redesign or structural overhaul.
Third spaces and distributed teams gain relevance
Edmonds also points to a growing role for flexible real estate models, including coworking and distributed workplace networks. For larger organizations, she suggests that third spaces can complement traditional offices by giving employees more access points to productive environments.
As teams spread across locations and working patterns become more fluid, she sees workplace strategy expanding beyond a single headquarters model.
The direction of workplace design
Across the conversation, Edmonds returns to the idea that workplace value now depends on experience, flexibility, and trust. Offices are competing with home setups that already offer control, comfort, and predictability.
The organizations that will succeed, she suggests, are those that design environments people actively choose, rather than feel required to use.
