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Bloomberg

What will the workplace look like a year from now?
The snow globe of work has been undeniably shaken to its core since the arrival of Covid-19. And the swirling mist is far from settled.
But one thing is clear: the working assumption that office life can “go back” to what it was before 2020 is just wrong.
Three out of every four workers say that working hybrid is now non-negotiable for them.

In Hong Kong, a recent survey conducted by Lingnan University found that more than 80 per cent of respondents preferred working from home for at least one day per week. More than 70 per cent said working remotely allowed them more time to rest, while 64 per cent said it helped reduce work stress.
The coming year will see a return of a kind for the office, but one which is organised in a very different way.
Here are three predictions for a healthier, happier and more productive workplace.
1. An end to flex-shaming
Early in 2022, the British human resources expert Gemma Dale coined the phrase “flex-shaming” in a LinkedIn post. It captured well the bad faith some leaders showed to workers who weren’t physically in front of them.
Among the most famous is David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, who in 2021 called working from home “an aberration we’re going to correct as quickly as possible”.
In October, Solomon told CNBC that about 75 per cent of his company’s people were in the office on any given day of the week pre-pandemic and now it’s about 65 per cent.
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Even if bosses think they can impose their will, legislative changes around the world are favouring flexibility.
Over a billion people from Greece to Thailand are already being affected by changes in the law to facilitate remote or hybrid work.
What matters is creating a culture of trust and transparency between bosses and employees to reach solutions, not as dry policy but by mutual agreement. There’s no place for flex-shaming in 2023.
2. Softening hybrid’s hard edges
This is not to say that hybrid work is a picnic. Recent global data from property consultancy JLL shows that compartmentalising between office and home is a major problem.
Some 25 per cent of hybrid workforces feel socially isolated and 59 per cent expect wherever they work to pay attention to their health and well-being.
Anxiety around social cohesion and productivity in hybrid offices is gaining traction.
Marc Benioff, the founder and CEO of technology firm Salesforce, who also sits on the board of the World Economic Forum, recently told a companywide Slack forum that new hires weren’t being productive enough and asked: “Are we not building tribal knowledge with new employees without an office culture?”

Joanna Swash, group CEO of Moneypenny, a call answering and live chat company, says: “I’m a big believer in the office, but I’m also a big believer in wherever somebody’s working. It’s got to be the right environment for them.”
In other words, iterating workplace by workplace is the only way forward.
Piloting changes for as little as three months or as long as a year should become the new normal until things settle down, said Frauke von Polier of German manufacturing group Viessmann at the recent Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna, Austria.
Von Polier was voted European Chief HR Officer of the Year 2022 by German HR magazine Personalmagazin.

3. The workplace as social space
Although data shows that 84 per cent of the anticipated reduction in US office space is associated with hybrid working, the repurposing of offices to be more social, plus an investment in the experience of work, is growing.
The US Office Occupier Sentiment Survey from property firm CBRE shows that 36 per cent of leaders are curating workplace experiences and events as part of their strategy to create community and increase presence in offices.
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People need a reason to come to a place that goes beyond mobile technology they can access from anywhere. That reason is simple: other people.
While the base of work’s snow globe has shifted from place to person, we all do need to work and meet somewhere. Here’s hoping 2023 is the return of the office in its new, improved form.
The author, Julia Hobsbawm, is a columnist for Bloomberg Work Shift and a speaker, broadcaster and consultant on The Nowhere Office.
Additional reporting by Ashlyn Chak.


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2023 workplace trends: how yours will be healthier, happier and more productive – 3 expert predictions

The year 2023 will see a return of a kind for the office, but one which is organised in a very different way, predicts Julia Hobsbawm, an expert on workplace trends. Photo: Shutterstock

Hybrid working is now a non-negotiable for many workers. Photo: Shutterstock

Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff. Photo: Christie Hemmklok

Viessmann’s Frauke von Polier. Photo: Viessmann

Lego for adults: how toy building sets have become mindfulness tools for adults, offering stress relief and a focus on the present

Many adult fans of Lego have discovered it can help them to de-stress. They describe how it helps them focus on the present and to be mindful. Photo: Shutterstock

Some adult fans of Lego find using their hands to build something makes them happy. Photo: Shutterstock

Vlada Botoric is an assistant professor at Zayed University in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Photo: Vlada Botoric

Deenaz Damania is a therapist and counsellor in Tamil Nadu, India. Photo: Deenaz Damania

Kamna Chhibber is a clinical psychologist in Delhi, India. Photo: Fortis Healthcare

Akash Mohan says Lego is his go-to de-stress mechanism over the weekends. Photo: Akash Mohan

Lego for adults combines nostalgia with intricate design. Its kits appeal to myriad interests. Photo: Akash Mohan

How to overcome burnout – expert advice on its causes and symptoms, and how one entrepreneur learned the value of self-compassion

Too much job stress can lead to burnout. If you notice your stress levels are starting to climb, there are simple steps that you can take to look after your well-being. Photo: Shutterstock

Many people who experience burnout start drinking more, which only exacerbates the problem. Photo: Shutterstock

Psychologist Dr Cindy Chan. Photo: Cindy Chan

Burnout and insomnia often occur together. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Consultant Julia Hobsbawm sees an end to ‘flex-shaming’ and improvements to hybrid working being big trends in 2023
Workplaces will also add more social and community elements to bring people into contact with others, she says


Julia Hobsbawm sees an end to ‘flex-shaming’, improvements to hybrid working, and more social and community office elements as the big workplace trends in 2023.


Wellness

Salesforce

2023 workplace trends: how yours will be healthier, happier and more productive – 3 expert predictions

Consultant Julia Hobsbawm sees an end to ‘flex-shaming’ and improvements to hybrid working being big trends in 2023 Workplaces will also add more social and community elements to bring people into contact with others, she says

Consultant Julia Hobsbawm sees an end to ‘flex-shaming’ and improvements to hybrid working being big trends in 2023

Workplaces will also add more social and community elements to bring people into contact with others, she says