The CVP of Facilities for Pax8 discusses the future of hybrid work.
As the pandemic and resulting lockdowns begin to loosen their grip on our global industry, businesses can focus on designing hybrid models for both office and homeworking. According to a report from the Office for National Statistics, 84% of employees who had to work from home during the pandemic said they intended on continuing with a mix of working at home and in the office in the future. The tectonic plates that define how we work have certainly shifted, whether we like it or not.
So how do businesses adapt to this new model? At Pax8, we believe businesses need to cater to the varying needs of their employees. Not only have we adopted a hybrid working model at Pax8, but we have invested heavily in our new offices in Zwolle, Netherlands and Bristol, UK, to ensure that whenever our colleagues choose to work from the office, their workspace supports them in being their best selves.
Encouraging the right headspace
Workspace flexibility can drastically benefit an employee’s mental health. Our employees need to be in the right headspace to function at their best, and at Pax8 we want to provide them with variety, not just a dedicated desk or cubicle.
Our new offices have been designed with the flexible workspace of the future in mind. They come equipped with a range of pioneering features, including Zoom rooms set up to have third-party remote participants join with ease. Today’s employees demand flexibility, regardless of whether they are at home or in the office, so we have introduced breakout areas and project spaces, as well as private calling chairs, board meeting rooms, town hall areas, and training rooms.
Our team’s mental health and wellbeing are also top priorities for Pax8. That’s why we have invested in wellness rooms that deliberately create a physical space where employees can separate themselves from the work environment, whenever they feel the need to.
Additionally, we have introduced prayer rooms, breastfeeding facilities, and mental health coaching rooms. It is true that employees work for the company, but at Pax8 we believe the company must also work for, and cater to, our employees as well. We are determined to follow that mantra at every opportunity.
Driving a healthy work-life balance
Separation from work-life and home-life is crucial. During lockdown, many of our younger team members — some of whom live in small flats in city centres — were stuck working from their beds or dining tables because they did not have access to a dedicated working space.
According to mental health charity, Mind, nearly three-quarters (74%) of people aged 18-24 said their mental health had declined during lockdown. Much of this can be attributed to being isolated at home, and with many continuing their day-to-day profession during this period, the lack of separation between work-life and home-life would have played a part in that struggle.
Our new offices provide our staff with an opportunity to create separation and a clear view of when work begins and ends. This separation makes room for headspace that promotes a healthier work-life balance and improves personal wellbeing. This was an important factor in the decision Pax8 has made to design our new offices to be as appealing as possible to all members.
The future of work
At Pax8, we trust our employees. Only they know how they work best, and our hybrid working model provides them the freedom to work from where they want and how they want. We don’t want to drive people into the office – we want them to feel encouraged to visit.
With the investment in our two new offices in Zwolle and Bristol, we have created spaces that are adaptive to the changing needs and demands of today’s workforce. We have designed these offices to work for our employees, around their own schedules. By encouraging a better work-life balance, we know that our team will be able to complete their best work.
A company is nothing without its employees. The way we work will continue to take into consideration the evolving needs of our staff. Pax8 is committed to keeping its finger on the pulse of the hybrid working evolution to support the wellbeing of our employees in both the short and long-term future.
