Intelligent, hybrid and personalised: Welcome to the post-pandemic workplace

On April 5, nearly a year after Singapore went into a two-month lockdown, up to 75 percent of employees were allowed to return to their offices at any time, and split teams were no longer mandatory.

For many who had settled into a rhythm of working from home, returning to a space that has faded into a distant memory over the last 12 months was disconcerting. For some, there was excitement in working with others in person again. For others, having less personal and family time, spending hours commuting, and working with more people in close quarters became more stressful than comforting.

According to a year-long global study by Leesman UK, a data analytics company that measures the experiences of employees in their places of work, only 64 percent saw their office environment as a place that enabled them to work productively.

In contrast, 83 percent of employees found their home environment to be a productive workspace. Clearly, if companies don’t step up to the game to consider how their environments can inspire and protect, they will find themselves saddled with unmotivated and unproductive workers.