Comments–
The data is beginning to show a slow and measured return to work in the office. Anecdotally, we are seeing companies who have a higher rate of in-office work claiming a productivity and competitive advantage. As new challenges emerge in the economy will employers start to insist on more in-office work. How flexible will employers continue to be and maintain a pre-COVID level of productivity. Mondays and Fridays are the lowest attendance days of the week. On Wednesday and Thursday attendance in some sectors is crowding 60%, a sign that employees are valuing more work time in the office.
Vacancy in the downtown has not been significantly impacted by remote work but this may not be true in non-core locations. Suburban return to the office is now above 50%, but vacancies in the office market in most non-downtown locations is increasing.
Stay safe,
Your SRRA Team
Links to Articles of Interest
Dig beneath the headlines!
Are we going to be stuck with this horrid term ‘quiet quitting’? Or will reason prevail?
One of the least attractive ideas that we have come across in the past few years is the notion of ‘quiet quitting.’ It’s one thing to be bored at work but another to celebrate this feeling by suggesting that it is okay to be ‘turned off’ then ‘drop in’ to work but then ‘tune out.’ (Apologies to Timothy Leary.) A more useful debate would be to track productivity, which some say is plummeting.
Google shows the way in Montreal with a deliberate move to create a regional HQ to be proud of. The challenge for any CEO these days is to make commitments to investing in quality office space when interior design has slipped down the list of priorities. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-from-paper-to-digital-googles-new-montreal-office-evokes-the-past-and/
Taking 10,000 steps to a new level. How a major UK fitness chain is seeing a link between revival of its business and a growing number of ‘bodies on the streets.’ There is so much fluctuation from week to week in cities across the world when it comes to spotting trends but one business owner is suggesting that his fitness chain is a useful way to gauge the mood. It goes without saying that if you are willing to huff and puff on an exercise bike along a dozen other fitness hopefuls you probably will not worry too much about sharing space around the water cooler. https://www.cityam.com/barrys-office-return-comes-hand-in-hand-with-thriving-fitness-industry/
From the ‘can you believe it?’ file…The Atlanta office of the EPA has been forced to delay a planned return to the office for its hundreds of employees owing to a rat infestation. After several delays and most recently a complete breakdown in the search for a satisfactory solution, EPA staff are no closer to getting back into their cubicles in Atlanta than they were last spring. Part of the problem, it has been suggested, is that rats were initially attracted by leftover snacks and lunch bags never cleared away after lockdown first came into effect. Add the appeal of tasty office plants, and the rats have managed to achieve critical mass in massive numbers that exterminators cannot overcome. Although many employees apparently despise having to work from home, returning to a rat-infested office environment is a non-starter. The irony is that dealing with this kind of issue is part of the EPA’s wide-ranging mandate!
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/atlanta-postcard
A survey of Canadian architects detects ambivalence and mixed messaging regarding returning to the office. This editorial from Canadian Architect highlights that even in a discipline where collaboration plays a key role in successful designs, younger workers are demonstrating ambivalence when it comes to a commitment to being present in the office. One of the complaints frequently cited – in offices large and small – is that staff find it hard to be productive in traditional open plan office layouts due to lack of privacy and noisy interruptions. Ironic, no?
https://www.canadianarchitect.com/editorial-back-to-the-office-or-not
Could Nokia’s plans for Kanata North become a model for tech and office parks across Canada?
As reported earlier on this page, the rumoured transformation of Kanata North to a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use work environment was made official at a recent event in Ottawa attended by the Prime Minister. Industry observers are cautiously suggesting that this move by Nokia could be the first of many initiatives across the country aimed at improving the ability of communities to attract and retain top talent.
“The Occupancy Index is supported by the City of Toronto, Financial District BIA, Bloor-Yorkville BIA, The Waterfront BIA, Downtown Yonge BIA, St Lawrence Market BIA and Toronto Entertainment District BIA. It is a measure of the percentage of office employees returning to the office compared to the number of employees who would normally have come to their offices pre-COVID. For a detailed description of the calculation please contact Iain Dobson at [email protected],”