A vision of the office of the future: flexibility and choice

Since many firms in Ireland now offer at least a blended approach to working, it’s important to make the office attractive, reasons Frank Gleeson, chief executive and president of Aramark in northern Europe.

Gleeson sees in an office environment the benefits of greater human connectivity, structured working hours and better working conditions and, with busy lifestyles and rising costs, believes that having food provided can be a factor in making a day at the office a more tempting option.

“We provide on-site restaurant and café-like dining options which offer employees a great selection of foods, often at a good price (typically subsidised by the company), and which also offer more efficient time options for ordering food,” he says.

Aramark, which Gleeson describes as a total facilities and food service business, provides nutritional information on its products, including calorie figures, enabling employees to choose healthier options.

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“And we offer digital menus and online ordering, which we find popular, again saving time so that people can enjoy their meals with their colleagues and not have to wait or queue for external options,” he says. “Once the quality is assured, then people will eat in corporate catering facilities.”

It is even possible to have the carbon footprint of each dish available, again allowing staff to make informed decisions.

No more sick building syndrome

Wellness is a big factor in people’s thinking in the context of returning to the office, according to Eoin Joy, chief property officer with Iconic Offices. As more people go back to the traditional workplace, they are demanding higher standards in areas such as clean air, healthy lighting and ergonomic furniture and workspaces.

Iconic Offices has received Well V2 certification from the International Well Building Institute, which provides evidence-based advice and accreditation on creating and maintaining healthy buildings.

“Everyone’s a little bit more sensitive to the office environment, especially around fresh air quality,” says Joy. “Typically, sealed buildings rely on mechanical filter systems which pump 10 litres of fresh air every second for each occupant. We have increased the amount to 13 litres, making it even healthier.”

Iconic also provides treadmill pods, which allow employees to talk on a video platform while walking.

“It’s all about giving people the option to be healthy in the office,” says Joy.

Using space more flexibly

Sneha Patel is chief human resources officer of PepsiCo Ireland, which has adopted a “work that works” approach for the future.

“There is greater flexibility to choose which environment – office or remote – is more effective for our employees to do their job,” says Patel. “Currently there are no plans to move to a fully location-free approach because we fundamentally believe that the office has an important role in PepsiCo’s culture, particularly around the areas of creating, connecting, collaborating, and celebrating.”

PepsiCo is in the process of moving away from static, assigned seating in the office.

“We want to give our employees a choice on where to work from most effectively based on activities for the day and to best utilise the office space. Neighbourhoods will remain so it is easy for employees to find their functional team-mates. We have had quiet or personal talk rooms in the past and are also slowly introducing pod-type designs to modernise the look and to meet the needs of employees who continue to need a confidential space but not use an entire meeting room.”

Gleeson points to a similar approach. “At Aramark we are working with clients more and more to activate and create unique zones in outdoor spaces on rooftops and gardens to facilitate the likes of outdoor kitchens, barbecues, food-truck festivals and pop-up, after-hours social events,” he says. “These areas can also double up as unique meeting spaces.

“It’s important to recognise that for many people their work group is also their social group and to provide meaningful spaces in the office to facilitate those social relationships.”