New research reports that 40 percent of British workers would turn down a job offer if they were required to be in the office five days a week. Additionally, the annual State of Hybrid Work study found that despite many large companies requiring staff in the office, employees are winning the battle to retain flexibility.
With surveys highlighting the importance of hybrid work for employees, the permanence of hybrid work will be made more apparent next year in Britain when the flexible working bill, entitling workers to request such arrangements from day one of their job, comes into effect.
With this in mind, Stefano D’Agostino, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Buildings at Honeywell, comments on what employers should focus on going forwards to ensure the office is a healthy environment that employers are willing to travel to:
“Whilst it is undeniable that working from home has an array of benefits, such as saving time on commutes, working from the office can still be advantageous. If a mix of both remote and office work is the way forwards in today’s society, to help successfully transition employees back into the office, there are multiple factors employers could consider. As the pandemic heightened concerns surrounding overall well-being, employers should now make changes to address these concerns effectively.
“Many organisations have started to provide exercise classes, healthy food options, and even implemented next generation building technologies to prioritise employee comfort and well-being. Whilst these initiatives are important, employees’ concerns surrounding the quality of the air that’s being circulated in offices is a high priority. In fact, according to Honeywell’s latest Building Occupant Survey Report, one in five respondents stated that they would look for another job if their employer didn’t maintain healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) levels.
“By implementing modern building technologies, businesses can work to address employees’ concerns regarding office air quality. For example, IAQ sensors can be utilised to constantly monitor levels of pollutants in the air. As occupancy levels of large common areas like workplaces tend to vary regularly, sensors and analytics can manage occupancy levels whilst simultaneously adjusting IAQ parameters. With hybrid working models likely to be around for the long-term, businesses should address staff concerns by implementing solutions which prioritise employee wellbeing — a step in the right direction to encourage employees to make their way into the office.”
