The Personal and Business-Related Benefits of Returning to the Office

COVID-19 has reshaped the way employees work. While remote work and telecommute, workforces are now more common than ever, 2022 has seen a surge in employees returning to the office – either part-time or full-time. Employees who are returning to the office are either doing so voluntarily or are being required to by their employer. And those who do return are no longer as concerned about health safety precautions as in 2020 or 2021, but are more focused on the benefits of returning or how to work in a mixed style (some days in the office, some days at home).

And while mixed feelings exist around the ask to return to the office, there are some benefits to doing so.

Drive Better Connection and Synergy with Co-Workers

Collaboration and communication between colleagues and teams are leading forces in driving innovation, production, and growth. One of the biggest benefits to returning to office is the improved connection with co-workers that can lead to more effective brainstorming, increased productivity, and team synergy. In fact, a recent study found that of workers who’ve recently made the switch from in-office to at-home, 60% felt less connected to co-workers by working at home.

Generate More Productive Outcomes

Following the benefit of in-person office interactions comes the consequential improvement of production. While some teams may be able to operate effectively and efficiently fully remote, returning to the office may help your team find a more natural stronger synergy that can help your team better understand each other process ideas and feedback, as well as make decisions more expediently.

Going back into the office for work and meetings enables you to take advantage of some factors that remote work does not include such as body language, the psychological motivation and transparency that in-person interactions create, as well as a less distracting environment.

Decrease Employee Exhaustion and Burnout

Some employees are masters at maintaining a healthy work-life balance, but one of the things the pandemic created was the challenge of separating work life from home life. Environment played a huge role in this, as employees no longer had the controlled boundaries of a formal office setting and set office hours.

While some companies did see productivity skyrocket during the pandemic’s forced teleworking state, some also saw increases in employee burnout as employees felt a new pressure to always be on. In 2021, as discussions around returning to office began, Sean Bisceglia, CEO of Curion, told CNN about his concerns about coming back into the office in 2022.

“Productivity is through the roof, but it’s over the top — it’s too much productivity where people are sending emails at 10:00 at night or 1:00 in the morning,” he said. “You start worrying about burnout.”

New technologies now exist as well to help organizations manage employee workforces who are hybridized to help control and streamline workplace meetings and resources.

Improve Time Management

Working at home does have the benefits of flexibility, casual clothing, and no time-consuming commute. But on the flipside, working at home does come with a host of distractions that can make managing your time and keeping your focus difficult.

One of the other benefits for employees returning to the office is having fewer distractions. An office environment is more controlled and structured. At home, you’re worrying about cleaning, laundry, running errands, distracting kids and pets that may beg for belly rubs. You may also be burnt-out by your at-home office and find it difficult to stay focused on tasks and projects.

Going back to the office can help ease work-related stress by providing a structured and focused environment that helps you stay on top of projects, avoid distractions, and helps you create healthier work and home boundaries.

Avoid wasting time with hot desk booking for hybrid employees

A quick note as well for hybrid employee workforces. If your organization has some teams or members part-time remote and part-time onsite, make sure the office is set up to be adaptable for when those individuals are in the office. Hot desk booking is a workspace management system that can help businesses be flexible and safe when accommodating different volumes of in-office individuals.

See how the Workspace booking app can help make hot desk booking easier by using employees’ mobile devices and QR code scanning.

Is Your Workforce Transitioning Back to the Office?

If you’re still transitioning your workforce back to the office – either in part or whole – making sure you’re set up with the right technology and workspace management solutions is key to reducing overhead costs and driving financial growth long-term. Below are some additional resources that may help you make an easy return to the office.

• Tips for Ensuring Employee Safety When Returning to The Office
• Life After COVID-19: Transitioning Back to an In-Person Workplace