Revealed: What We Miss Most About the Office Post Lockdown

At Bruntwood Works we know the beginning of 2020 has been a massive change for many of us. We’ve gone from spending 40 hours a week in the office, to no time at all. 

And while going to work in your slippers and dressing gown may have been a novelty at first, we’re beginning to miss the undeniable benefits of office life. From the camaraderie to the coffee breaks, there’s plenty we’re going to have a newfound appreciation for when we’re eventually back to the office after COVID. 

To help get a better idea about what it is exactly we’re excited to return to work for, Bruntwood Works has asked office workers all across the nation a series of questions to find out what they’re missing. 

What we’ve missed most about the office

It comes as no surprise that what we’re missing the most about our workspace is, of course, our colleagues. 

When asked what they’re missing most about the office, ‘the people’ was an overwhelmingly popular choice: nearly 30% of the total survey respondents answered that their colleagues are what they’re missing the most. This is a stark comparison to the 3% who claimed to be missing their workload.

People aged between 45-54 were the age group most likely to miss seeing their co-workers. A quarter of those who answered that they were missing the people they work with fell into this age bracket, which may indicate that the best office relationships are those that have been formed over many years. 

All the more reason to cherish your favourite working friendships!

Why have we missed our colleagues so much?

Naturally, spending such a big portion of your week with the same people is going to help form a bond. And while your team may only be a Zoom call away, this doesn’t hold a candle to actually being in the office together. Working remotely means we can’t just nip into the kitchen for a coffee together, swap cycling routes, share stories about our morning commute or to step out for a spontaneous lunch together.

Perhaps that’s why 66% of those surveyed agreed that their office has a family feel to it. Having such a close relationship with your peers and team-mates ensures that you’re guaranteed someone to talk to when you’re in need of support, advice or just a good laugh and joke with your work colleagues. 

Hopefully, these will be things we appreciate more when we’re back to work.

Forming close friendships in the office

In some situations, work friendships can form into some of your strongest connections. Over half of our survey respondents (56%) have met some of their closest friends from sharing an office together.

Staying in touch off of the clock

One aspect that might really help to form that bond is the time you take to talk to your co-workers outside of the office. A huge 70% of respondents mentioned that they see or talk to their colleagues outside of work, meaning the time we spend with our office friends expands to more than just the working week. 

Once again, women are more likely to keep in touch outside of office hours, accounting for 63% of those who answered ‘yes’. This might help to explain the fact that they’re the ones who are missing their colleagues the most, as they’re used to having increased levels of interaction. 

Surprisingly, despite their love for all things digital, 18-24-year-olds were the group least likely to keep in touch with their coworkers outside of the office. This could be for any number of reasons, including the fact that they may still be maintaining their friendship groups from school and university.

Get even more excited about getting back to the office

It’s clear that working together in an office is essential for forming friendships and experiencing that classic team ‘family feel.’

We understand that working with your team has incredible benefits for wellbeing, productivity and relationships between your co-workers. That’s why at Bruntwood Works we aim to give you a working environment that can keep up with you. We offer everything from flexible co-working spaces or affordable meeting rooms to fully managed offices and retail and leisure opportunities, all made to fit your purpose. Get in touch today and find out how we can help you.

To help give you peace of mind during the pandemic, and ensure all you have to worry about is reuniting with your team, our Bruntwood Works team members will still be present and will be observing the strictest guidance around social distancing and hygiene. Please check our COVID-19 hub for more details.