The office was designed to satisfy the needs of a large group of stakeholders: employees, managers, senior executives, clients, and external partners. But when you try to design something that satisfies everyone, it\u2019s very hard to delight anyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This wasn\u2019t a problem until we were all confronted with the question of whether we really need a physical office. As the pandemic made working from home a necessity for millions, the answer came back: we could get along without the physical office, and no single group was getting enough value from the office to make them say anything but \u2018meh\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many companies found<\/a> that they were just as productive with their employees working from home. But behind that number was an ugly truth: the blurring of lines between home and work, combined with the fear of losing your job, made employees work more. According to a 2020 KPMG <\/a>report, 83 per cent of workers said the demands of their job increased with the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The productivity of pandemic work is a mirage. Working more hours has a cost: employee burnout<\/a> and lower employee retention. This is not a durable competitive advantage for any company; in an age with high workforce mobility, it\u2019s a recipe for disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n