The office will fight to win you back

To get a sense of what 2021 might hold — beyond continued job market uncertainty, benefits focused on child care and mental health, and the proliferation of plexiglass — The Washington Post asked human resources advisers, workplace designers, employment lawyers and compensation analysts to share predictions for a year that could bring back some normalcy while returning people to workplaces that may never be the same. #jobs #workfromhome #remotework #futureofwork

Covid-19 vaccine outlook revives return-to-office plans https://on.wsj.com/3aNtYDu via @WSJ

Early in our pandemic-induced work-from-home world, the conversation about getting back to the office centered around a remodeled return to what we had — plexiglass between desks, new hand sanitizer stations, directional arrows on the floors. But we haven’t gone back en masse. As the pandemic stretches on and companies question pricey leases while employees become increasingly comfortable with remote work, the purpose of the office will be redefined. Read about how the office will try to "win you back" in our #bigideas2020 list.

"It's becoming clear socializing is important to people's productivity, as well as career outlook and development opportunities," 3 in 4 workers want to return to an office in the future—here's how they expect the workplace to change. https://lnkd.in/gsn52Hi

I've been thinking lately about space 'affordances' and the signals a design can send. As we return to the workplace post-pandemic we're betting and preparing for an increase desire for human interaction, collaboration and connection in the workplace. If that is the behavior we want to see, do our designs have it right? Do the work settings clearly signal to the user, Use me! I'm going to make your workday even better! If this is something you're noodling on as we head into a new world of Hybrid work (and trying to figure out how will our workspace support relationships, conversation and serendipity) I highly recommend this HBR read from 2011: "Space may or may not encourage interaction depending on how it balances three dimensions, or “affordances,” that have both physical and social aspects: proximity, privacy, and permission" Harvard Business Review by Anne-Laure Fayard and John Weeks.