The 10 Workplace Trends Defining 2022 So Far

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The first half of 2022 has continued the drastic changes seen in the global office market over the last handful of years, pushing further evolution in the workplace and setting the stage for the future of work. But what exactly do these changes mean for employee experience and professional development, now, and into the future? Here’s an overview of the top 10 workplace trends that have been making waves in 2022, with particular emphasis placed on future of work trends that are poised to impact the business world for years to come.

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The Core Elements Shaping the Future of Office Interior Design

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open plan office space with homely furniture and a small rug on the floor

Office interior design has always evolved alongside the needs and requirements of occupants, with recent changes being implemented by office interior designers and business leaders being no different. The dramatic events that have taken place in the world of work since the start of the 2020s have made this even more evident. When compared to five – or even three – years ago, current tenant attitudes and requirements have shifted almost beyond recognition. Whilst many of the design elements now in high demand were predicted to eventually emerge over time, with initial concepts surrounding modularity and flexibility being present in cutting-edge tech offices in years gone by, few would think that any office design company would’ve predicted the rapid creation of such a new office interior design paradigm.

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Post-Pandemic Mental Health in the Office – UK Workers Polled

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In May 2022, we conducted a poll of 450 working Britons to see how their mental health is faring in the current, post-pandemic, working environment. The ultimate goal of this poll was to gain a picture of how workers’ overall wellness is being supported by their employers, as well as the ways in which their mental state has evolved after returning to the office.

Like many of our other recent studies, we made sure to limit this poll to only UK office workers, as we believe that this group experienced some of the most dramatic changes to their daily routines and workflows throughout the pandemic. Having previously started the day with a commute to their former office space, the lockdowns linked to COVID-19 saw the vast majority of this group pivot to remote work for an extended period of time, swapping their office desk for their kitchen desk as they worked from home.

It was our intention to choose this segment of society, as they should be especially indicative of how the extreme swing in regular work environment can impact workers’ mental health and overall wellness. Additionally, we wanted to see how supported they feel in these regards when compared to pre-lockdown situations.

Below, you can find a summary of the results of our poll:

Mental Health & Returning to the Office

  • 41.11% of office workers said that their mental health hadn’t changed after returning to the office
  • 25.33%, of workers signalled that their mental health improved after returning to the office
  • However, 22.89% of workers reported diminished mental health after returning to their physical workplaces
  • 10.67% of respondents indicated they still haven’t returned to the office

Post-Pandemic Work-Life Balance

  • 60.44% of polled office workers said they have better work-life balance now, when compared to before the pandemic.
  • 21.56% of workers indicated they’ve felt no difference to their work-life balance
  • 18% of the UK’s office workers feel that they’ve had a worse work-life balance since the pandemic

Access to Mental Health & Wellbeing Support

  • Nearly half of employees, or 47.78%, indicated that there is accessible mental health and wellbeing support being provided by their employer
  • 27.56% of office workers have stated that mental health and wellbeing support services are offered but are hard to access
  • 15.78% of workers responded that they aren’t provided any mental health or wellness support by their employer
  • 8.89% of workers were unsure if their employers provide access to mental health and wellness support services, or they haven’t sought them out

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Do Employees Feel Supported by Their Managers After the Pandemic? (2022 Poll)

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Following on from our recent articles exploring the ways in which UK office workers feel about their return to the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic, we once again polled 450 individuals to determine how employees feel about the managers and bosses orchestrating a shift back into the office.

The questions presented by this poll asked respondents to give a general indication of how supported they’ve felt by management since returning to the workplace and outline whether they currently feel positive, negative, or neutral about their employer.

To summarise

  • 29.3% of UK office workers feel more supported by management since returning to the workplace
  • On the other hand, 18.4% of respondents fell less supported
  • 44.4% of UK office workers indicated that managerial support felt the same in a post-pandemic working environment
  • The remaining 7.8% of respondents stated that they haven’t returned to the workplace

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UK Office Workers Polled: Characteristics of a Good Manager

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In May 2022, we conducted a poll of 450 working Britons to determine what they look for in a good manager. The ultimate goal of this poll was to gain a picture of where workers’ priorities stand after the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of their preferred managerial style and methods of support.

When conducting this poll, we made sure to limit our scope to UK office workers only; a group that experienced significant upheaval in their working lives as they shifted between the office and remote locations throughout the pandemic. It’s our belief that this group will be especially indicative of the ways in which evolving workplace norms can quickly impact the perceived characteristics of an effective manager.

Characteristics Presented to Respondents

In no particular order, the characteristics presented to respondents were:

  • Adherence to COVID-safety measures
  • Frequent and effective support on tasks
  • Empathetic leadership skills
  • Facilitation of flexible working schedules
  • Strong leadership style
  • Ability to build and maintain work culture

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How Do UK Office Workers Rate Their Return to the Office?

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two cartoon figures in front of a large clipboardWe conducted a poll in May 2022 asking 450 UK office workers to express how they felt their employers had managed their return to the workplace after COVID-19 lockdowns. Limiting our pool of respondents to just UK office workers provided us with the best indication of how businesses across the country managed the extreme transition between remote and in-person working schedules, as this group was amongst the most drastically impacted by mandated isolation.

This poll found that

  • 54.5% of UK office workers found their employer’s roadmap out of lockdown to be well presented, providing clear direction
  • 27.6% of UK office workers felt they were confused by their workplace’s poorly presented roadmap out of lockdown
  • Surprisingly, 18% of respondent indicated that their employers had no plans or roadmap in place for their return to the office
  • When asked to rate their return to the office out of 5
    • 46.2% of respondents rated it 4 or higher
    • 40.7% of respondents rated it 3 or lower
    • 13.11% of respondents indicated that they hadn’t returned to the office

These results paint an interesting scenario, one in which roughly half of UK office workers are happy with their return to the office and the roadmap laid out by employers. Continue reading “How Do UK Office Workers Rate Their Return to the Office?” →

Most Desired Employee Perks for UK Office Workers (2022 Poll)

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cartoon of woman sitting at a desk smiling at her computerWe asked 450 working Britons to rank a list of ten commonly offered workplace factors and employee perks to determine post-pandemic working preferences. This poll made sure to limit selected respondents to office workers, a group whose previously stringent 9-to-5 schedules and daily working rituals were heavily impacted by COVID-19. The ultimate goal of this poll is to provide businesses across the UK with a general indication of the workplace factors and employee perks most valued after the seismic disruptions of the pandemic. Continue reading “Most Desired Employee Perks for UK Office Workers (2022 Poll)” →

55% of UK Office Workers Favour Hybrid Working, Will the Office Ever Be the Same?

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woman working at a desk with flowers and laptop on itIn May 2022, we conducted a poll of 450 office workers across the UK to determine their true working preferences. This poll was designed to inform us on a number of concepts related to the post-pandemic UK working landscape, with hybrid and various other working models receiving particular attention.

The most obvious and glaring takeaway from our poll was that more than half of respondents believe hybrid to be their ideal working arrangement. Prior to conducting this poll, we ensured that respondents were limited to individuals who had worked in an office environment prior to the pandemic, a group that we believe to be the most indicative of changing sentiments around in-person, remote, and hybrid working models. We posed many questions to these respondents regarding their pre-pandemic and post-pandemic working situations, as well as the ways in which their working preferences changed since the start of 2020. Results from related questions were seen to be in line with the 55% majority that indicated their preference for hybrid working arrangements for workers returning to the office.

To summarise relevant findings, this poll illustrated that (rounded to the nearest whole number):

  • 55% of UK office workers see the hybrid model as their ideal working arrangement
  • 20% of respondents indicated a preference for full-time remote work, highlighting that a sizeable number of UK office workers have no desire to return to their former office spaces
  • On the other hand, 15% of workers polled believe that it’s ideal to return to the office full-time. A number which, despite being lower than the desire for full-time remote work, clearly illustrates support for more traditional working models
  • The clear minority (10%) of those polled preferred to return to work in a part-time capacity. Of those who desired part-time work, there was a slight preference for purely remote (56%) when compared to purely in-person (44%) schedules

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Can You Spot the Odd One Out in 5 Seconds? – London Umbrella Brainteaser

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london brainteaser at London Office Space

 

Can you spot the red umbrella in less than 5 seconds? There is only one red umbrella hidden within this sea of famous London icons – can you find it?

With the month of April forecast to bring a heatwave to the UK this year, we’ve created a fun April showers brainteaser to remind you all that the rain will be back again soon. Continue reading “Can You Spot the Odd One Out in 5 Seconds? – London Umbrella Brainteaser” →

London Office Market Sees Highest Level of Occupier Activity since Before the Pandemic

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Recent research undertaken by Knight Frank illustrated increased uptake in the London office space market throughout Q3 2021. The 55% increase in leasing transactions of 2.63 million sq ft leased in Q3 of 2021 demonstrates the highest quarterly increase recorded since 2009. Additional research carried out by Gerald Eve outlined a 30% increase in uptake to 2.8 million sq ft when compared to the previous quarter, something that they attribute to large commitments for space made by major occupants. Knight Frank’s research highlighted the importance of these major space commitments, with 42.4% of all transactions in Q3 being for spaces of 100,000 sq ft or more. To further support this growth in market activity, a report published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed that demand for the London commercial market grew at the fastest rate since 2016 between Q1 and Q2. Despite the pandemic bringing world economies to a near standstill, the London office market has bounced back strongly to witness the second consecutive quarter of increased demand. Here are some of the factors that influenced these high occupancy levels.

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