Many employees around the world are still reluctant to return to the office and abandon working from home. To combat this, some employers are indulging in office peacocking to make the workplace more attractive and fashionable. But will such practices really bring back workers?
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It’s been four years since employees started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And many people remain reluctant to return to work.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, said: forbes: “We have just marked the fourth anniversary of the pandemic, but many employers have not yet given up on reverting to pre-pandemic policies.”
Employees’ extreme reluctance to return to their workspaces has given rise to a not-so-new trend called “office peacocking.” Let’s take a closer look at what this office term means and why it’s trending across social media.
What is office peacocking?
Office peacocking means stylish décor, trendy furniture, a fully stocked pantry, and a variety of amenities to help employees who are used to working in cozy spaces feel comfortable working from their traditional workplaces. This is a practice that brightens up the workplace.
This trend can be hard on your wallet, but it transforms a typical corporate cubicle environment into a vibrant lounge-style environment, such as creating recreation rooms, implementing a relaxed dress code, and even nap rooms. .
“One in four employees (24%) said they would be more inclined to come to the office if they could wear whatever they wanted, so we found out it might be a good time to scrap dress codes.” ” emphasized Weishaupt. Owl Labs’ 2023 Hybrid Work Status Report.
What are returning employees looking for?
While an attractive workplace is a win-win for many new graduates, Weishaupt said the report focuses on issues such as commuting and personal space that will be most important as employees return to the office. He said there was.
“Companies that cover commuting costs top the list at 38 percent, followed by increased privacy in the office (dedicated office, more phone booths) (34 percent) and knowing when you can meet the people you want to meet. “There continues to be a way. There will be (33 percent),” said Owl Labs CEO.
While some employees are adopting a policy of returning to the office, more employees are willing to make sacrifices for a more hybrid and flexible work culture in the long term.
According to data collected by Owl, at least 62% of employees are willing to take a 10% pay cut to continue working remotely, while 4% are willing to quit their job to avoid the hustle and bustle of working in an office. thinking about.
Weishaupt also noted that “one in three workers (31%) said they would start looking for a new job if their employer told them to return to the office.”
While some employees have the option of quitting, others are joining the office and actively seeking ways to escape the artificial trap of peacocking the office.
What other trends are you seeing in the workplace?
Another workplace trend called “coffee badges” became popular last year. This allows employees who are reluctant to return to work to go into the office for a short period of time to grab a coffee and leave having made an impression. That they are working in the field.
Weishaupt said some employees even follow a concept called “polyworking,” where they hold two or more jobs on the side. It was found that almost half of the employees have at least one other job besides their main full-time job, of which 68% are full-time office workers. .
Wishaupt said these trends aren’t just a “remote thing,” as full-time office workers are more than twice as likely to have a side hustle than hybrid or remote workers.
These trends highlight that a return-to-office mandate is “clearly not working” and is not the way to get people back to the office, he said.
Based on opinions from agents
