The corona crisis is leading to changes in the office market. Working from home is a phenomenon that will continue, it is expected.
Offices will be used differently in the future, says chairman Alex van Ginneken of the Noordelijke Online Ondernemers (NOO) network. Because people work from home, the spaces are less occupied.
“For example, you can already see that companies are considering subletting their offices to another company for one or two days a week.”
Companies such as Jet-Stream and online store Frank have already decided to say goodbye to the office. There are more entrepreneurs who are thinking about it.
One of them says: ,,The adaptability of both our customers and employees is greater than we thought. We used to not want to meet online. Now that has suddenly changed. I’ll think about what to do next. Do I still need a large office? Do I have to pay for a quantity of well-polished glass because we meet once a week for consultation?
A short tour shows that most entrepreneurs opt for a combination of working from home and at the office. There are people who love working from home, others find it a nightmare. “The office is a place where you work together. You have to do it together”, says Yorick Voorthuijzen of the Groninger Tomorrowmen. “Think of it like a football team. You can all train separately, but if you want to take an extra step, you have to do it as a team.”
They also expect a mix of working from home and at the office at the Asser Oving Project Design. Oving notices that every economic crisis has consequences for the office market.
The company has recently developed a concept for small offices and home workplaces. ‘This allows an employer to meet the specific wishes of its employee who works from home’.
Because that employer does get an additional responsibility if he allows his staff to work from home. He will want to know exactly what an employee does at home, but is obliged to ensure a good workplace at home.
More working from home probably means that it will be quieter on the road and in public transport. But it also has other consequences: Will the lease car be sold and what will it mean for housing in the future?
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