COVID-19: Lockdown 2.0

A new normal

For the last 7 months the commercial market has been in hibernation and hope rested on discovering a vaccine, the restrictions started to ease, and we returned to a semi-normality.  Realistically, was this ever going to last? We think not.  

Over the past month we have noticed a real change in people's attitudes towards the market, prices are clearly dropping, and for those willing it appears some bargains can be found, or is it too early to say?

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How do we interpret lockdown from a workplace perspective? 

For us, the message is stick together as a team. Whether it's clients or the company, be patient. Things are still evolving, and it's important to take personal responsibility for your own situation.

Employers and employees must now think seriously about the future and determine whether to keep their offices at all. For tenants, missing an opportunity such as a lease break could be costly and give landlords another matter to deal with.

Right from the outset of this pandemic the traditional office work we have all become used to went out the window. Now the situation has deteriorated, we must ascertain if the pros outweigh the cons of keeping our offices operating and to what capacity.

With the growing concern of the wellbeing of people’s mental health during this pandemic, could closing the office have a detrimental effect, due to social isolation? Going into work may be the only time some of our colleagues have a chance to socialise and have genuine face-to-face interaction. Conversely, those with a busy household may find it too distracting working from home full time with families requiring attention, escapism is found in the office as a place where we can get away from the chaos and concentrate.

Adapting to a new future

At Vantage we plan to keep our office network open as all the team need time away from the home and basic human interaction is something we all said we need. That being said, we work from home on occasion to contribute to a well-balanced work/home life.

What is your dream workspace?

Our dream office would be a place where not only our staff, but our clients and consultants feel at home.  A place we share with others. A space we use for collaborating and developing ideas, communicating, and enhancing ourselves. We would install a meditation room or combined space for exercise that could also be a meeting room making it dual purpose.  Sustainability would be at the forefront of the design by using reclaimed materials, natural lighting and more.

We are presently embracing such ideas with our clients, be it landlords or tenants, where we can work together on how we can improve the space they occupy or own to make inclusive and diverse environments where we can escape home and its baggage to help our companies, colleagues, and clients.

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