Office spaces have changed almost beyond recognition in the last 10-15 years, with these changes having been driven mainly by the internet and associated tech, as well as shifting societal attitudes towards work and wellbeing. Here’s what you can expect to see more of in 2019 – even in that office space in Surbiton!
More emphasis on workplace wellness
There’s been a few government initiatives aimed at reducing workplace and work-related illness, as well as improving workers’ health in general in recent years. There’ll be more of this coming, too, so expect to see more sit-to-stand desks, exercise balls and better snack and drink choices available. Bosses and HR might start suggesting “get out in nature” days instead of “duvet days”, as it seems that our disconnection from nature is affecting our mental and physical health.
Offices designed to encourage movement
Laptops, cloud storage and mobile phones have all allowed us to move around more – you can walk around while making a call, get some work done on your laptop while you’re on the train or even stay at home to finish up a project. Office spaces might have to start making room for special zones dedicated for international collaboration, as well as more items of furniture that can charge devices wirelessly so workers are no longer chained to their desks.
More recreational areas
By 2020 – which is mere months away now – half of the workforce will be from the Millennial generation. This generation, born between 1981 and 1999, has a whole new set of priorities, including blending work and home life more and making work a happier place. Millennials don’t want to wait until they get home to relax – they want to have a mini home at work to retreat into for a break before diving straight back into the fray.
In practice this means more bean bags, chillers for drinks and snacks, relaxation corners and maybe even big padded hammocks and fancier kitchens. What companies should aim for is a home-from-home feeling, with some homely appliances and comforts, so that this important new demographic doesn’t mind staying late on occasion.
More walls will come tumbling down
In a good, way, of course! We’ve heard enough about walls being used to divide people in the last couple of years to last us quite some time. It’s good to hear, then, that workplaces will start to tear them down to promote collaboration and equality.
In previous decades, walls and closed doors have divided workers and management strata from each other, but it seems that we now have a move towards open plan office spaces. We still need a certain amount of privacy and zoning, of course, but this will be created by functional furniture – maybe attractive storage units – or by living walls to clean the air and impart a more natural feel. Bringing down brick walls frees up space and it also frees up the workforce to collaborate more and to form more of a community within the workplace.
