It’s no secret that the way we work and where we work has completely changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some offices are still closed, some organizations have completely reconfigured their workspaces, and some are taking a hybrid approach. No matter what organizations are choosing to do right now, the question on everyone’s minds is, “Will my employees ever come back to the office?”

I get calls every week asking how workspaces will and should change after the pandemic. Our focus at Relocation Strategies is creating spaces that are functional and engaging so that your employees can be productive and feel inspired by their workspace. The other key piece for employers and employees now is feeling safe — are the proper protocols in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19? Am I 6-feet apart from my colleague? Should we downsize since more people are working from home? Show we upsize or relocate to accommodate more space in between each team member? All of these are critical considerations in today’s climate.

Recently, I had the opportunity to share some key insights about the current landscape on a OneZone webinar. Here are 7 key takeaways I shared on the webinar:

1. Real estate transactions are down by 40%. (Source: Senior Managing Director at Cushman Wakefield Indianapolis)
2. The transactions that are being completed are reducing space by 30 to 35%. (Source: Senior Managing Director at Cushman Wakefield Indianapolis)
3. 70% of the work-from-home requests are due to family members being health compromised. (Source: SHRM National Survey Results)
4. 43% of respondents prefer a hybrid workplace, working in the office three days a week. (Source: Relocation Strategies Survey Results)
5. 51% of all knowledge base firms are still working from home. (Source: SHRM National Survey Results)
6. 77% of respondents reported being just as productive or more productive working from home. (Source: Relocation Strategies Survey Results)
7. 51% of respondents indicated their workplace would need to change. (Source: Relocation Strategies Survey Results)