Bad news for WFH employees, with experts predicting big changes in 2024

For some people, the days of working from home may soon be numbered, with many employers expecting a full-time return to the office in 2024.

An estimated 60 percent of employees cannot do their jobs from home because they need to be physically present to perform their duties, such as medical staff and tradies.

But the Covid-19 pandemic showed that working from home was feasible for desk-bound workers and had many benefits.

However, a few years into the pandemic, some bosses are eager to fill their workplaces with staff again more consistently.

Of course, the benefit of working from home remains popular among those looking for a job, so some employers – often in sectors where it is difficult to retain staff – are including it as an option, but for the most part, many are not encouraging it .

Some companies have even started tying bonuses and performance reviews to the number of days staff spend in the office.

Many companies expect staff to be in the office at least 40 to 50 percent of the time.

But some experts predict that by 2024 there will be even greater pressure on people to be physically present with their colleagues.

Angela Ferguson, founder of workplace strategy and design agency Futurespace, told NCA NewsWire that more leaders were expecting a full-time return to the office in 2024.

But she said it would be important to motivate this, not make it mandatory, with creative incentives and office renovations.

“Leaders need to look at why they want people in the office,” she said.

'The key to a successful culture/workspace environment lies in providing opportunities for people to connect, while still maintaining some autonomy.

'The incentives for working in an office will be vastly different for individuals, teams and organisations, and the key to getting this right for each organization is to understand the needs of their people from the experience of work.'

Ms Ferguson said face-to-face interactions improved productivity, engagement, connection and culture.

“Many leaders ask staff to come two or three days a week, which is not an unreasonable request,” she said.

'However, in our work with organizations we often find that there is a discrepancy or gap between what staff are looking for and what leadership is looking for in terms of days in the office.

'It's not just about productivity, it's also about mental and social well-being.

“No matter how introverted people are, as humans we all need social connection and the workplace is a great environment to foster that.”

Ms Ferguson noted that remote working has been successful during the pandemic, but there have been some “frustrations and weaknesses”.

“Now that we're in this hybrid world, it's a much more nuanced environment and so people, place and technology all have to adjust and adapt accordingly,” she said.

'It's not a simple approach and every organization will be very different.'

Ms Ferguson said workplaces should accommodate all kinds of working styles.

“The best workplaces have a diverse mix of spaces – single rooms, soundproofed spaces and communal breakout rooms – that can be used by everyone in the way that suits them best,” she says.

'So you are meeting the needs of both individuals and teams throughout the physical environment.'

Ms Ferguson said the biggest complaint her team's research revealed was that technology was not 'plug and play'.

“In many cases, employees want their organization to get the basics in order first before exploring other issues such as AI, VR and AR,” she says.

'Better technology-enabled spaces mean you can work seamlessly from anywhere in the office, move from desk to meeting room with ease, connect remotely or work from home without hassle.

'Technical support on location is also an important wish of many employees.'