Future of Commercial Property Market

Most of the companies who are announcing that employees can work from home for the long term are progressive, largely technology savvy, employers who already allowed staff to do so prior to COVID.

The bigger test will be those employers who used to insist on staff being in the office, even if they didn't need to be, prior to COVID and whether they've had a change of heart / direction.
 
Great news for the environment and if they can be converted into decent properties rather than the recent conversions highlighted by some sections of the media it will be a boost for those wanting to live in an increasingly quiet town centre setting.

Pension pots will take a pasting.
 
Businesses will love it if they can eliminate huge estate costs and get the same productivity. Personally I am looking forward to getting back in the office, even though I want to be at home all the time I am there. My role is separate from the majority of my team so I don't feel part of the team and it is a bit of a chore to speak to people compared to being in the office. Hasn't helped that my deputy switched teams just before lockdown so I've been in a team of 1 since but the replacement arrives next week.

There is also the social element of being in work that just makes the day that bit nicer. I think a combination of wfh and in the office might be better. Our office has always been against home working, I think the CFO had the impression it was for people to dodge work but he's gone now anyway so maybe we'll see a change in policy.
 
Cardiffdaffs said:
Will llikely fall off a cliff as thousands realise they dont nees to cram on to packed trains and commute into cities when they can just as well do their job at home. I cant think of many office jobs non public facing that needs all their workforce in an office.

Twitter have started the trend

https://apple.news/AKCY2xIfSREanMMRVynB0fw
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What do you mean "will" fall off a cliff. Been jumping off cliffs for more than a few years. INTU own a lot of shopping centres

Intu Properties PLC (LSE)_20200513_17.30.png
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
My point exactly - sadly there's still people who think like that and insist on face time in the office.
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I've worked form home in the past before all this virus stuff. It is much harder. You have to produce something every day. No hanging around the coffee room. No chatting with colleagues about football/politics.
No blaming IT for network down time and on and on. No endless meetings about frankly sweet FA. No workshops seminars. Just plain work. And its hard. Unfortunately some employers will be seeing what a good deal they are getting and will be actively encouraging post virus. If there ever is a post virus.
 
One big 'perceived' issue with WFH was security - a lot of business people still hanging on to the idea that their data was only safe if the people using it were in the office...a lot of the time this was despite that data being in AWS or some other cloud, such that they had no idea of its location in physical terms.

With access tokens and two factor authentication, secured, encrypted links. excellent communications platforms, thin clients and the correct locked down device policies in place, the data never leaves the wrapper it is in.

As many businesses (well those who are working) have discovered, they often get more from their WFH staff than they did from on premises. Can't work for everyone of course - but the lower impact on the environment from fuel emissions, less stress on people having to travel (and often just sit in traffic) for hours, lowered business premises overheads and lessened overcrowding on transport systems must count for something?
 
Staff reductions from on one site alone sfrom 100 to 40 with 60 working from home and its a state of the art building with eye watering costs. 5 sites to work through yet and 2 maintenance workshops which has 20 odd lads in one of them
 
I was thinking the other day that once working from home is entrenched , employees will explore means of recovering utility costs etc .
It’s likely going to affect insurance as companies are going to be mindful of extended occupancy during the day and a working element to policies . This itself will likely bring down crime .
Theres benefits of saving on childcare which is mega plus ( unless you own a nursery )
New house builders will look at incorporating office element to fabric of houses .
 
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HundredRoom said:
I've worked form home in the past before all this virus stuff. It is much harder. You have to produce something every day. No hanging around the coffee room. No chatting with colleagues about football/politics.
No blaming IT for network down time and on and on. No endless meetings about frankly sweet FA. No workshops seminars. Just plain work. And its hard. Unfortunately some employers will be seeing what a good deal they are getting and will be actively encouraging post virus. If there ever is a post virus.
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I work with companies across the spectrum, and whilst some of what you say is true - some companies (Facebook is a good example) are working to come up with solutions to address some of your points such as chatting with colleagues or running workshops. Seminars are easy enough to turn virtual, in fact my wife is presenting at a "global conference" tomorrow.

If you think working from home excuses you from endless meetings about "sweet FA" then come and shadow me for a day and you'll soon change your mind. In fact I'm sat on one now, as I type this....
 
Must admit I’m conflicted on WFH.
The ability to sit with a few people and spontaneously have a natter about some ‘stuff’ - business problem/opportunity etc is a big miss.
Maybe, at my age I just haven’t found a way to make that work in the current climate.
Mind you - our business has more than its share of 40 somethings and older.

I’m looking to bring people back for a few days a week
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
I work with companies across the spectrum, and whilst some of what you say is true - some companies (Facebook is a good example) are working to come up with solutions to address some of your points such as chatting with colleagues or running workshops. Seminars are easy enough to turn virtual, in fact my wife is presenting at a "global conference" tomorrow.

If you think working from home excuses you from endless meetings about "sweet FA" then come and shadow me for a day and you'll soon change your mind. In fact I'm sat on one now, as I type this....
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Only problem working from home is you can’t drop a whopper in the bogs to the consternation of all the office .

Edit . I guess you could at home but at the cost of a night in the spare room . Ladies just can’t see the funny side 🤭
 
HundredRoom said:
I've worked form home in the past before all this virus stuff. It is much harder. You have to produce something every day. No hanging around the coffee room. No chatting with colleagues about football/politics.
No blaming IT for network down time and on and on. No endless meetings about frankly sweet FA. No workshops seminars. Just plain work. And its hard. Unfortunately some employers will be seeing what a good deal they are getting and will be actively encouraging post virus. If there ever is a post virus.
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I'm finding that now. It's far more intense than working in the office.
 
Virtual meetings aren't the same. It is surprising how much gets done outside of the agenda at a regular meeting just with a quick chat before/after with the person you are sat next to. That doesn't happen virtually. I get the impression everything is more official wfh. Everything is documented because it is all emails and Teams etc so it's difficult to have a regular conversation.
 
Other issue is you don’t get to stare at the office babe’s **** whilst she’s at the photo copier . ( yes you do , admit it )
 
I've worked from home since 1998, until 2008 as self employed and since then for a company (now employee owned). I'm used to it but Mrs Gnome isn't. I drive her mad.
 
boromike85 said:
Virtual meetings aren't the same. It is surprising how much gets done outside of the agenda at a regular meeting just with a quick chat before/after with the person you are sat next to. That doesn't happen virtually. I get the impression everything is more official wfh. Everything is documented because it is all emails and Teams etc so it's difficult to have a regular conversation.
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As I say, there's plenty of work going into replicating this experience. Amazon's experiments with Alexa and Facebook with Portal are good examples of this.
 
1finny said:
Must admit I’m conflicted on WFH.
The ability to sit with a few people and spontaneously have a natter about some ‘stuff’ - business problem/opportunity etc is a big miss.
Maybe, at my age I just haven’t found a way to make that work in the current climate.
Mind you - our business has more than its share of 40 somethings and older.

I’m looking to bring people back for a few days a week
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A tad selfish!
 
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