There’s no place like... the office

DOES homeworking spell death for the office longer term?

I don’t think so.

Having spent many months hunched over an ill-fitting desk sat on a non-ergonomic chair in my dining room, if nothing else, I look forward to returning to our office for the many conveniences.

The internet is faster, the office is air conditioned, there is an auto-boiler meaning tea is available at the push of a button and, I never thought I’d say it but, printing and scanning documents is (almost) a joy in the office compared to the old desktop printer at home!

There is no doubt that the commercial property market will change significantly over the coming years; occupiers may be considering whether flexible working could enable them to reduce their space requirements and so their rent bills, but I believe that the changes to the market will be more nuanced – the large trophy office may be less appealing, but quality of space will arguably be more important than ever.

If, like many I have spoken to, you are planning to return to your office no more than a couple of days a week, it stands to reason that the quality and practicality of that space needs to be right.

This year has proven that working at home can indeed work for lots of us, that the technology is robust enough to cope, that the hour-plus commute many of us have endured for years need not be an essential part of the working day.

For some businesses, it may even be feasible to facilitate remote working full time, but in my opinion just because we can, doesn’t mean we should and I cannot wait to see more of us back in our offices and enjoying the city, vibrant and full of life again.

Robin Canning, Associate in the Commercial Property team at Clarke Willmott

T – 0345 209 1582

E – robin.canning@ clarkewillmott.com

W – www.clarkewillmott.com