How to create office space that's great for Hybrid Working

Hybrid working is here to stay. With so many office staff working from home during the lockdowns, the business community has discovered that people don’t need to be tied to the office building to be productive. 
 
Research from CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) shows a dramatic increase in organisations offering remote working options, with 63% of surveyed companies now offering their staff the opportunity to work regularly at home. 
 
Even large companies such as BP, Lloyds Bank and HSBC will be adopting the hybrid working model, allowing them to downsize their physical office space.
 
This means that the way we use offices is going to change, and there is now a need to create practical office space that’s great for hybrid working. This gives you the perfect opportunity or excuse to revisit your office interior design and use modern, innovative furniture, such as meeting pods, to create a variety of functional spaces within the room.
 
The business benefits of hybrid working include: 

• a more cost-effective office footprint
• potential increases in staff engagement and productivity through offering more flexibility and choice over how and where to work.

 
Some of the benefits of hybrid working for staff include:

• reduced travelling time
• reduced travel costs
• improved work-life balance and perceived wellbeing – which also has a positive effect on productivity, something every business owner is interested in.

Designing a new office fit for hybrid working
At JPA Workspaces, our experienced interior designers will advise on the best use of space in your new office fit-out. You’ll have an in-depth discussion about your brand, your brand personality, how you intend to use the space, how many people need to be accommodated and for what purpose, etc with our team. 
 
The office of the future is likely to be more socially distanced, with more space between working areas, more partitions to build confidence and reduce anxiety, better acoustics, interesting and social collaboration spaces as well as meeting pods.
 
If you are looking for some inspiration for your new office layout, contact our team via email at hello@jpa-workspaces.com or call us on 01727 840800. Our team will run you through our portfolio showing all the latest in quality office furniture. You can also visit our website and social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest designs and information.

Perceived Safety and Hygiene will continue to be a priority 
All being well, the Government's social distancing rules will be relaxed soon. However, with the continued threat of the virus and the possibility of new variants, it could be a long time before everyone feels comfortable being in the office without full protection.  
 
This explains why protective screens and antimicrobial surfaces (see our website for more details) are likely to be a standard feature in mots offices for many months to come.
 
Covid-19 aside, the protection and hygiene habits we’ve got used over the last year has resulted in a healthier workforce. There has been a worldwide drop in the number of cases of colds and flu leading to fewer sick days and an overall increase in productivity, so these precautionary measures are great all around.
 
Make it sustainable
Another impact of the pandemic is that people have become more aware of the environment. In the first lockdown, nature was more conspicuous, leading to a greater appreciation of the planet, as well as awareness of the effect our wasteful habits are having on it and its finite resources.
 
In JPA workspaces, we think sustainability and the circular economy is the only way forward. This is why we have long been active champions of environmental values. JPA has consistently been recognised for its strides in this area and received several awards for our holistic approach, environmental and community work.
 
Every aspect of our business is geared toward reducing carbon and eliminating project waste. By working with JPA, your organisation will significantly reduce the carbon cost of its refurbishment works. We are a certified Carbon Neutral and Carbon Reduction organisation.
 
Additionally, JPA only uses products from ethical and sustainable supply chains, with timber from well-managed forests and high percentages of recycled and recyclable content. Our in-house furniture re-manufacture, repair and refresh services ensure longevity for your existing furniture resources. Our award-winning furniture recycling and community rehoming programme once again will ensure that nothing goes to landfill. 
 
If sustainability is an important part of your company values, then, when it comes to furniture, we’ve done all the research for you. Read more about our commitment to the environment (on our website – sustainable workspace solutions) – we do so much more than furniture.