Workers miss office 'water cooler' moments

Survey finds 90% of employees say the social aspect of the office is the best thing about returning to the workplace

Responses from almost 400 company decision-makers and more than 500 employees found 90% say the social aspect of the office is the best thing about returning to the workplace.

Irish workers miss "water cooler" moments in the office where they engage in social interactions with colleagues despite continued demand for flexible working arrangements, a new survey has found.

Responses from almost 400 company decision-makers and more than 500 employees found 90% say the social aspect of the office is the best thing about returning to the workplace. 

With the removal of almost all Covid-related restrictions across Ireland, many workplaces continue to plot a return to some form of office-based work, with a number of surveys highlighting employees' desire for some form of hybrid or flexible working arrangements.

Commercial real estate firm Fine Grain Property operates a portfolio in Ireland of €220m that consists of more than 1m sq ft of office properties hosting more than 60 clients from large international and domestic businesses. The properties are located in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Shannon, Athlone, Maynooth and Galway.

After nearly two years of lockdowns and home working, 78% of office workers say they want to work in dedicated office spaces at least some of the time. More than half (51%) would split the working week between home and the office if given the choice. Just 27% would prefer to be entirely office-based.

“We live in communities; our research indicates that employees want to work in them too,” said Damien Kilgannon, real estate director at Fine Grain Property, who said reports of the ‘death of the office’ in Covid’s wake were greatly exaggerated. 

"It’s clear that dedicated workplaces are still seen as crucial to employers and employees, but what they want from the office is changing," he said.

The past two years have accelerated demand for quality, accessible office space that creates a sense of community and belonging. This is particularly the case among younger workers, who are more likely to welcome the return to the office.”

While 90% of employees say the social aspect of the office is the best thing about returning to the workplace, getting out of the house (78%), having a dedicated workspace (66%), and collaboration time (62%) also scored highly. When asked about the worst things about returning to the office, 79% cited the commute, 67% said noise or distraction and 51% said getting dressed.

Younger workers are more likely to welcome a return to the office. Half (48%) of staff aged under 35 are pleased about returning to the office, versus 38% of workers in general; 32% of under 35s are disappointed, versus 42% of those aged 35 to 44.

"These are important insights for companies that are facing growing competition for talent across Ireland following a year of record job creation," Mr Kilgannon said. 

"In a full-employment economy like Ireland’s, attracting and retaining talent is critical. Well-located, quality workspace in a community environment will help employers win the war for talent.” 

Half (49%) of the companies polled expect the size of their workforce to grow in the next five years, 42% expect it to stay the same and just 8% say the numbers employed will fall.