How to Update your Pre-pandemic Office
Nina Patel • Mar 20, 2023

Although most traces of the pandemic appear to have completely gone, there is one area of our lives that has altered forever: the way in which we work.



With the way in which technology has advanced, it’s hard to believe that it took a global pandemic for us to embrace remote and flexible working. This may be one of the primary reasons why many workplaces could now be considered slightly outdated.


It was recently surveyed that, despite the flexible working approach which is now considered normal, 83% of UK employees still find themselves in workplaces that reflect the rigid, pre-pandemic working structure. You can read more about this
here.


With this in mind, here are some ways in which you can update your office to adhere  more to today’s working culture:





Listen to your Employees

Although it may seem like a given to a lot of employers, there are many members of the UK workforce who still sometimes feel as though their suggestions may go unheard. As your office is there to serve your team, it’s worth listening to their opinions on the way in which the space could improve.



Breakout space in use by Glenside

If members of your team have ideas about how to make the office layout more practical or the need for new facilities, be open and listen to their suggestions. This can go a long way to both improving your office space and showing your staff that you care.


Create Breakout Spaces

In a lot of cases, full-time office attendance is no longer a necessity, however, 65% of UK employees view the workplace as a great place to strengthen relationships with their colleagues.


Breakout space with biophilic partition & feature wall by Glenside

This emphasises the importance of having welcoming and relaxing breakout spaces in the office, where staff can socialise away from their desks. Not only will this make breaks more enjoyable, but it will also cause less disruption to those who may still be working at these times.


At Glenside, we have designed and fitted out many great breakout areas for employees to relax and unwind. An example of this can be found by looking at this
Animal Charity in London.



Integrate Collaborative Working Areas

Although the social aspect of office culture is still appealing to many employees, findings have also stated that 71% of UK employees “are stuck in uncollaborative work patterns when they do venture into the office.”


This could be for several reasons, however one of the most likely is that workplaces haven’t adapted to encourage employees to come together, collaborate and brainstorm ideas. This may be because such
meetings largely took place over video calls throughout the peaks of the pandemic.


Things are different now as we find ourselves venturing back into the office. Adapting your office environment to have areas for your team to bounce off each other and effectively collaborate is a great way to encourage better communication. 


This is something that we have a lot of experience with at Glenside, as we work with clients to transform their workspaces into supportive and well-structured environments that reflect their values.
Get in touch with us now to find out more.


Glenside Commercial Interiors are experts at designing, planning and fitting out stunning, contemporary workplaces. View some of our previous work in our portfolio now.



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