The language of the workplace has shifted somewhat during the pandemic – hybrid working, remote working, office of the future, smart office and so on. What do these terms mean practically within the workplace?
The analytics provider Density has announced its ‘The People’s Workplace’ study, which was conducted in a collaboration with the online polling firm YouGov in order to better understand how employers are embracing the emerging smart offices and hybrid work.
The study found that most employers fail to recognize that their employees want greater flexibility, increasingly value optionality, and the protection of individual privacy rights in the workplace.
Smart offices
Smart offices use technology to increase productivity and collaboration. For example, by utilizing connected technology and data analytics, businesses can ensure their workplace is appropriately equipped for the specific needs of each workforce. An optimal smart offices is one that is able to quickly adapt and evolve with their organizations.
The survey found that smart offices are very much a work in progress. Here 88 percent of companies are keeping their offices open in 2022, with only 10 percent limiting the number of employees allowed back at one time. In addition, 48 percent have not implemented any new technologies to support employees returning to the office, despite employees wanting connected technological devices for a seamless workplace experience.
Workplace privacy
Employees are concerned about privacy in that nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of employees at companies with a workforce of more than 1,000 employees would be concerned about their privacy if their company used camera-based technology in the office to monitor how space is being used.
Employees have the right to see any information held about them, like emails or CCTV footage. The essential principles behind the right to a private life means personnel have the right to some privacy in the workplace. However, some employees can offer more protection and some are in breach of human rights laws.
Flexible working
Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home.
Employees want a flexible approach to the workplace. With this, more than half of employees (57 percent) valued a flexible work schedule. This is especially true of employees (59 percent) at large-scale companies (defined as having between 500 and 999 employees).
