Employers show more trust in home workers.

 

Office space in Australia could be reduced by as much as 50 per cent in a post COVID-19 world, according to a leading workplace consultant.

 

Slashing floor space would save Australian businesses a significant amount of money but office workers could also benefit too, Christian Pistauer, director of Meta5 Group, told Nine.com.

 

"The coronavirus would be a catalyst for radical and imminent change in the Australian workplace", he said. "You might have less space in the office but it will be a far greater work experience."

 

He said companies whose leases came up for renewal over the next few months would gaze around the emptier offices and naturally consider their needs.

 

Under-utilised floors would likely be handed back to commercial landlords.

 

But working from home was just one element in a new flexible working future, he said.

 

After the enforced shift to home working, many employers and middle managers realised they could trust workers to get the job done while not in the office.

 

"A compressed working week, staggered start and finish times and more flexible roles and hours all helped reduce the cost of real estate," Pistauer said.

 

These changes, he said, bring a company into a "new world", with Australia and New Zealand leading the way.

 

Pistauer said Meta5 research conducted prior to COVID-19 had persistently revealed employees wanted to work more from home.

 

"It's a really strong message," he said.

 

In a recent NBN survey, 67 per cent of Australians said they expected to work from home more after the COVID-19 crisis ended.

 

And 81 per cent of Australians said their working from home experience had positively impacted their work-life flexibility.