Like a kaleidoscope shifting frames, the pandemic has spun the world of work on its axis – realigning everything we once knew about the structure of the office and employee wellbeing.
Where two years ago, hybrid working was a rare perk for large corporations, today it’s an expectation for many. Over 80% of workers now prefer a hybrid work model that combines home and office options, according to Accenture’s 2021 Future of Work study; and most high-growth companies are flexing to demand with a “productivity anywhere” model.
The “where” of working is now less important than the “why”. With Covid-19 reshaping people’s priorities and expectations around work life, the office has evolved from simply a space to house employees to a set of values underpinning company culture.
“Asking where people should work in the future might be the wrong question,” the Accenture report notes. “A better question is: ‘What unleashes a person's potential, enabling them to be healthy and productive, regardless of where they work?’”
Here at Kitt, we’ve partnered with chartered psychologist and award-winning author Dr Audrey Tang to explore the deeper emotional needs of the workforce in a post-Covid age.
This report draws on Dr. Tang’s expertise to see the office through the lens of individual wellbeing and happiness. Through combining Dr. Tang’s knowledge with insight from Kitt’s Head of Design, Stefanie Sebald, it aims to outline the duality between wellbeing and physical space: and what that looks like in a new age of choice.
