Test publications

MARKETPLACE

IS THE TRADITIONAL OFFICE SPACE

A THING OF THE PAST?

COVID-19 and the South African lockdown have forced companies across the board to embrace strategies that allow their employees to continue working, but from home. And while this has been a relief for many, who no longer have to face the daily traffic grind and can work in their pyjamas if they choose, for others the work-from-home alternative has proven to be difficult and stressful.

P DUHQWV KDYH KDG WR OHDUQ WR MXJJOH IXOO GD\ SDUHQWLQJ DQG KRPHVFKRROLQJ ZLWK WKHLU ZRUN GHPDQGV ZKLOH RWKHU ZRUNHUV ZKR DUH XVXDOO\ RͦFH ERXQG KDYH KDG WR JHW XVHG WR IRUNLQJ RXW IRU WKH LQFUHDVHG GDWD FRVWV DQG KDUGZDUH QHFHVVDU\ IRU WKHP WR GR WKHLU MREV DW KRPH 7KH UHDOLW\ KDV OHIW PDQ\ SHRSOH DFURVV WKH country looking forward to the prospect of going back to a traditional RͦFH HQYLURQPHQW ZKHUH ZRUN LV MXVW ZRUN DQG WKH\ GRQ̵W KDYH WR FRQWHQG ZLWK SHWV QHVWOLQJ RQ WKHLU ODSWRSV RU FKLOGUHQ PDNLQJ VXGGHQ DQG XQZHOFRPH DSSHDUDQFHV RQ =RRP FDOOV +RZHYHU 'DYLG 6HLQNHU IRXQGHU DQG &(2 RI 7KH %XVLQHVV ([FKDQJH EHOLHYHV WKHUH ZLOO QR UHWXUQLQJ WR QRUPDO DQ\ WLPH VRRQ LI HYHU ̸7KH WUDGLWLRQDO RͦFH VSDFH DV ZH RQFH NQHZ LW LV QRZ GHDG̹ VD\V WKH EUDLQ EHKLQG WKH FRPSDQ\ WKDW SURYLGHV VHUYLFHG DQG ͥH[LEOH RͦFH VSDFH DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ ̸7KHUH DUH D QXPEHU RI UHDVRQV ZK\ WKLV LV VR̹ 6HLQNHU H[SODLQV ̸5DWKHU WKDQ D UHWXUQ WR QRUPDO RQFH WKLV LV RYHU FRUSRUDWHV DUH JRLQJ WR KDYH WR HQWLUHO\ RYHUKDXO WKHLU WKLQNLQJ DERXW RͦFH WR 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ WKH KXPDQ ZRUNIRUFH LV JRLQJ WR EH D ELJ FDVXDOW\ of the &29,' ORFNGRZQ :LWK VR PDQ\ EXVLQHVVHV PDNLQJ D ORW OHVV UHYHQXH WKDQ EHIRUH WKHUH KDYH DOUHDG\ EHHQ ODUJH VFDOH UHWUHQFKPHQWV DFURVV WKH ERDUG DQG PDQ\ FRPSDQLHV ZLOO ORRN WR WDNH XS OHVV VSDFH DW WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH KHDG RͦFHV ̸%XVLQHVVHV ZLOO ͤQG WKHPVHOYHV LQ D ELJ RͦFH VSDFH ZLWK DQ H[SHQVLYH OHDVH DQG QRW HQRXJK SHRSOH WR ͤOO WKH GHVNV̹ 6HLQNHU SUHGLFWV /DUJH FRPSDQLHV ZLOO QRZ VHHN WR GLYHUVLI\ DQG UHGXFH ULVN ZKLOH DOVR ORRNLQJ IRU VPDOOHU RU VHUYLFHG RͦFH VSDFHV ZLWK ͥH[LEOH OHDVHV DFFRPPRGDWH D QXPEHU RI IDFWRUV ̹ The shrinking workforce

DV RSSRVHG WR ͤYH WR \HDU DJUHHPHQWV 7KH\ ZLOO ZDQW VSDFHV WKDW RIIHU RWKHU QLFH WR KDYH VHUYLFHV VXFK DV FOHDQLQJ VHUYLFHV ,7 VXSSRUW DQG PRUH EXLOW LQWR WKH OHDVH DJUHHPHQW Higher health and safety expectations ̸*RLQJ IRUZDUG HPSOR\HHV ZLOO H[SHFW FOHDQHU RͦFHV DQG EHWWHU PHDVXUHV WR HQVXUH WKHLU VDIHW\̹ VD\V 6HLQNHU ̸7KH\ ZLOO DOVR EH DSSUHKHQVLYH DERXW WRXFKLQJ VXUIDFHV WKDW RWKHUV KDYH WRXFKHG EHIRUH WKHP̹ 7KRVH ZKR FDQ DIIRUG LW ZLOO ORRN LQWR DXWRPDWLF GRRUV DQG HOHYDWRUV WKDW GRQ̵W UHTXLUH XVHUV WR SUHVV D EXWWRQ 7KRVH ZKR FDQ̵W ZLOO QHHG WR SURYLGH KDQG VDQLWLVHU DW DOO SXEOLF WRXFK SRLQWV DV SHRSOH̵V FRQFHUQV DERXW SRVVLEOH FRQWDPLQDWLRQ ZLOO EH ZLWK XV IRU D YHU\ ORQJ WLPH JRLQJ IRUZDUG ̸$W 7KH %XVLQHVV ([FKDQJH ZH KDYH LPSOHPHQWHG VHYHUDO VDIHW\ SURWRFROV WKDW ZLOO FRQWLQXH RQFH ORFNGRZQ KDV EHHQ OLIWHG 7KHVH LQFOXGH DOO JXHVWV EHLQJ UHTXLUHG WR VDQLWLVH EHIRUH HQWHULQJ RXU SURSHUWLHV RXWVRXUFHG GHHS FOHDQLQJ E\ SURIHVVLRQDO FRPSDQLHV VRFLDO GLVWDQFLQJ WKURXJK VSDFLQJ VWDQGDUGV DQG WKH XVH RI QRQ FRQWDFW WKHUPRPHWHUV WR PHDVXUH WHPSHUDWXUHV RI DOO JXHVWV HQWHULQJ DQ\ RI RXU SUHPLVHV ̹ Cost savings ̸%XVLQHVVHV ZRXOG KDYH ORVW D ORW RI PRQH\ GXULQJ WKH ORFNGRZQ DQG ZLOO KDYH WR ORRN DW KRZ WR WULP WKHLU EXGJHWV RQFH HPSOR\HHV UHWXUQ WR ZRUN̹ FDXWLRQV 6HLQNHU /DUJHU FRPSDQLHV ZLOO WU\ WR EHWWHU XWLOLVH WKHLU RͦFH VSDFH E\ UHGXFLQJ WKH RYHUDOO VL]H RI WKHLU ZRUNVSDFHV VR UHGXFLQJ UHQWDO FRVWV ZKLOH RWKHUV PD\ DGRSW PRUH RI D K\EULG PRGHO ZKLFK VHHV PRVW VWDII ZRUN IURP WKH RͦFH ZKLOH WKH UHPDLQGHU ZRUN UHPRWHO\

4

CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2020