Tag: Return to Work

RTO Mandates and Rising Workplace Violence Call for More Integrated Security

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. Companies and government agencies have recently doubled down on return-to-office mandates. In September, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed that employees would have to return to the office five days a week—ending their hybrid policy—starting […]

Is It Time to Ditch Hot Desking in the Office?

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for the modern office. It is an ongoing journey to define today’s workplace, and many companies navigating this path have turned to hot desking, a practice where employees are […]

Report Highlights Workplace Tech Challenges Amid Rise in Office Attendance

New research found that 34% of businesses plan to increase the number of in-office days in 2025. This trend is prompting enterprises to enhance their use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cross-platform data analytics to better manage workplace occupancy and ensure a balanced employee experience throughout the workweek. That’s according to Eptura’s latest annual Workplace […]

3 Trends Redefining the Workplace in 2025

From emerging technologies to shifting generational expectations, a new report explores the key trends and innovations poised to redefine the workplace in 2025, especially amid the ongoing return-to-office debate. The 2025 Workplace Predictions report from Envoy surveyed nearly 500 executives across IT, HR, facilities, and workplace management roles. “The conversation about the workplace of tomorrow […]

They’re Back, but Is Your Workspace Employee Friendly?

Remember the days when many team members were in the office? Well, they’re back, and it may come as no surprise they’re not always excited about returning to their old/new workplaces. Almost every day, there’s another headline covering a CEO calling employees back to the office. Even the U.S. Department of Labor ordered its remote […]

The Rise of Office-to-Amenity Conversions in Commercial Real Estate

Offices are increasingly vacant. According to Moody’s Q2 2024 CRE trend report, office vacancy rates have exceeded 20% this year as businesses reduce their space or leave the office entirely, driven by the continued demand for hybrid work. In response, building owners and facility leaders are under increased pressure to offer enhanced amenities, to help […]

Expert Q&A: Controversial Return-to-Office Mandates and the Future of Work

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have become a hot topic, with major corporations like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Dell insisting employees work on-site. However, Amazon’s hardline policy on returning to the office or else is being met with resistance, and other companies are considering their options. In a recent Q&A released by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business, Tim […]

Time to Update? Tech Office Spaces in the Hybrid Work Era

North American tech companies, once the vanguard of workplace innovation, are still catching up to new work patterns. With average peak utilization not exceeding 34% in tech offices, up to $40 million in rent costs are wasted annually on underused space. That’s according to a new report from international design practice Hassell and workplace analytics company Density. The State […]

Does AI Represent a New Era for Facilities Management?

“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is an award-winning movie that won several major industry awards last year. In today’s landscape, this movie title fittingly describes the widespread influence of artificial intelligence (AI) across numerous industries and job functions. AI is seemingly everywhere now, with one IEEE global report ranking it as the most critical global […]

Workplace Trends Report: Majority of Employees Consider Going to the Office a ‘Waste of Time’

Nearly 60% of employees received some form of return-to-office (RTO) mandate in 2023, with the percentage of fully remote employees dropping to 33% last year (from 44% in 2022). Yet, more than half (54%) of employees surveyed in the Appspace 2024 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report agree that going to the office “feels like a waste […]