Adapt or die: Why offices need to change their tune

More than three years after Australia’s first hit of Covid, office workers are still reaping the benefits with many choosing to work from home indefinitely.  

With the flexible work-from-home lifestyle becoming more culturally acceptable and convenient for workers, employers are looking for new and innovative ways to entice people back into the office.   

In Brisbane CBD, there’s still a 12.9% vacancy rate in offices when compared to pre-Covid levels, according to the Property Council of Australia’s Office Market Report.    

This shows that despite the ongoing efforts to return to traditional office culture, many are choosing to maintain a flexible work-life balance.   

With such a drastic change underway, it begs the question: should offices start adapting to the new ways of working?  

For me, the best and most constructive meetings have always taken place in coffee shops. Meeting in a more informal environment seems to put people at ease which then creates a space for ideas and discussion to flow more freely.   

It’s about bringing this concept to the office.  

Giving workers private spaces where they can take their laptops and focus on a single idea without being interrupted is critical to productivity.   

With the option to compartmentalise their time, and more freedom to work in new and innovative spaces, workers might just want to come back to the office, rather than being dragged back kicking and screaming.  

It’s time to adapt or die if offices want to protect the sanctity behind CBDs and make sure office culture and watercooler chat live to see another day. 

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