Changes to dynamics and structure: 5 trends to keep an eye on

Workplaces today look vastly different to what they did a few years ago. Here are the latest trends going on that employers and employees are being attentive to.

Brett McAllen, chief executive of Workspaces, has shared his view on what those trends entail, and the effects that they're having on the workplace as a whole.

"The structure, look and feel of workplaces will continue to change dynamically from year to year as employee demands change. Companies that keep abreast with these trends are better placed to face the future of their business with a competitive edge.”

1. Equality all over

One of the biggest talking points around workplaces in 2024 is equality. For example, the recent release of company gender pay gaps was a milestone for equality – not just in Australia, but across the world. The precedent has been set and this initiative has the potential to be a massive enabler of change and on every employer’s radar.

Along with these structural changes, surface-level equality is becoming more and more prominent throughout workplaces.

"While people are covered by a range of standard workplace protections, employees want more. They want to see that workplaces are fair and people are treated equally regardless of age, wage or life stage. If the boss can bring their dog to work, so should everyone else. If the manager gets a free park, then so should everyone else,” said McAllen.

2. Right to disconnect

The search for work/life balance is often a continuous struggle for employees. However, with legitimate legislation now coming into play, this constant conundrum could be amended.

“This year, we're going to see employees take a step in the right direction and assert their right to disconnect. This means that employees will have the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employer outside of working hours unless the refusal is unreasonable," McAllen said.

"With this newly legislated right coming on board, it's a new territory to navigate so it remains to be seen how the interpretation of reasonable or unreasonable contact is going to be applied by the Fair Work Commission. This is going to be one that HR and employers are all going to want to keep tabs on.”

3. Working at the office

If work/life balance is employees’ greatest struggle, then getting workers back to the office could be employers’ toughest challenge. Striving for that pre-COVID-19 workplace, employers are desperate to get their employees back in the office.

The argument is that employees’ productivity is boosted at the workplace, rather than at home. Claims of workplace culture have also been used with employers strongly believing that people need to be face-to-face to build a stronger relationship.

"Being in the office enables workers to build better relationships with their colleagues and managers, which leads to better career development for workers.”

"Some workplaces may face significant resistance from their workers about returning to the office, so it's important for those in leadership roles to communicate their expectations while also listening to employee feedback. Be transparent and explain to employees the value of having them back in the office and why these decisions are being taken,” said McAllen.

4. Local work

There has been a trend of organisations abandoning their big-city offices and instead relocating to more suburban areas to ensure that employees have shorter travel from their homes to their jobs.

Although this decision is a massive structural change, the benefits for businesses are huge as it can have a big impact on employee wellbeing and mindset.

"Relocating an office can come with many benefits such as lowering costs and having new office layouts. It gives employees a better experience and gives businesses a chance for growth.”

"When businesses choose to lease from flexible office hubs, they're choosing to factor in employee work/life balance which leads to better satisfaction in the workplace. When offices are located close to amenities and with convenient transport lineages, the accessibility of the workplace is a huge bonus that employees can take advantage of,” said McAllen.

5. Flexible offices

Similar to the previous trend, office changes are in full effect in 2024, with more and more businesses ditching the traditional long-term lease of mainstay offices and instead turning towards flexible office hubs. These often include the same wants and needs of the traditional setting, with much less of the financial kickback.

"Flexible office hubs offer everything a traditional office does, but with the efficient structure of shared spaces. Your company doesn't have to pay extra real estate bucks on meeting rooms that aren't in use all day long and have the responsibility of purchasing the equipment and maintaining costly corporate equipment like audio-visual technology for meetings and printing, scanning and copying machines because these office hubs take care of all of it for you.”

“It increases your productivity and efficiency when resources and hours aren't spent dealing with these nitty-gritty issues,” said McAllen.

Overall, these trends involve similar themes around flexibility and equal access in terms of what the employees are after. On the contrary, employers are demanding results and productivity to come from it, as well as a return to the traditional processes that they believe work best. It will be interesting to see how organisations manage this balancing act going forward.