Advantages and disadvantages of working in the office

Why workspaces are so important

Many of the employees who work in these workplaces need certain skills to be able to perform their tasks such as face to face communication between teams, ability to exchange views, write, work as a team or knowing how to function in an collaborative work environment with other professionals.

Unlike remote working, the office has been designed and conceived from the outset as a place to carry out a specific job. Another of its differentiating factors is the complete separation of the employee from home: working from home can lead to stress and a lack of disconnection from the workplace, as cohabiting in the same space where you “work” and “rest” makes people not able to separate and take a real break from their working day.

Although remote work has been successfully implemented in our country, many professionals are looking forward to returning to their office environment, as they miss working together with other colleagues, sharing their daily life and getting inspired in spaces specially designed to stimulate their creativity.

Benefits and drawbacks of working in the office

Did you know that nearly 90% of employees want to go back to work in an office environment? There are the findings of a survey conducted by the US research institute Gensler Research Institute.

4 benefits of working in the office

Better distribution of workspace.

Working in an office involves, on certain occasions, to carry out tasks in functional and highly optimised workspaces. These types of spaces allow for the free circulation of workers in a fluid manner and in this way, increase and improve interaction with other partners.

Working as a team.

Being part of a company project with a team of people boosts your creativity, as well as developing our collaborative and social skills. In an office we can interact and work side by side with other colleagues, something that can help us move away from static work routines. In addition, productivity in the office is increased.

Conduct face to face meetings.

For certain work or projects, it may be necessary to hold face to face meetings. For example, arranging a meeting with a very important client at our place of work can help us to sell a proposal, because the customer engages, feels part of a whole and is able to see in person how we perform naturally and safely in a professional environment.

Establishing new links and contacts.

Being immersed in a daily work routine with a lot of people around us can benefit us in the future, as this will allow us to acquire new contacts that can help us in the long run to find new job opportunities or start new professional projects. Interacting with other professionals in the office can benefit us when building new business or if we want to initiate and create new personal projects.

3 drawbacks of working in the office

Regular distractions.

The simple fact of being in an office with more people makes communication more fluent and more fluid, which may result in a noisier working environment. This could possibly interfere in the worker’s concentration and may reduce productivity.

Lack of privacy

Some people are not as extroverted and may not like working in a team as much as others. This is a disadvantage if we work in open spaces and offices, as these more introverted employees can end up feeling uncomfortable.

Increased stress and/or anxiety

In an office you may feel more under pressure, either by your superiors or by your own colleagues. This can result in the employee ending up stressed in the workplace and, therefore, decrease your productivity and capacity to work.

In Viccarbe, as a manufacturer of contract furniture, office furniture and flexible furniture for collaborative spaces, we support a gradual return to offices. There is nothing like coming back to the office to collaborate and share with your colleagues, creating synergies and versatile environments that enhance creativity and communication. See also the new outdoor office furniture for open-air offices, with great advantages and benefits for workers. In our office projects section you will find some projects and designs in which our furniture has acquired a certain presence.