Working From Home – post-COVID

Do companies have a desk/employee ratio? If so - it may be set to drop as part of #thenewnormal for many businesses post-COVID. Clients are subletting some of their prime London office space. Partners at a global law firm I know were already debating ditching some of their ego London office floors in March - after their most profitable fee month ever was delivered mainly working from home. #WFH may be up because of COVID but some people are loving it and won’t want to go back. Or not fully anyway. But it’s not just them. Decision-makers are seeing it differently too. The time-starved lawyer who tells me losing the hour commute each way from home to the City is a blessing he’d happily retain 3 days a week - but misses his big double screens; the CEO who tells me they get more done in shorter, more to the point virtual meetings - but misses the interaction with (some of) his team; the CFO who tells me that a loud messy lunch with his wife and kids is like refuelling - but misses the big screens and the interaction with his immediate team. One person tells me: “Virtual meetings are pretty cool! In fact, I prefer them. I’m taking part in a #Zoom today - it is scheduled and in the diary. I’m a bit of a loner for whatever reason and now I don’t need an excuse to be me!!!”