Most say that offices have become an important part of their job in the context of Covid-19 and over 57% will evaluate this aspect more closely in the future, when they will seek a new job, according to the survey conducted for Genesis Property, who owns West Gate Business District and Novo Park in Bucharest. 

While proximity of the office to their home remains an important factor for most employees (65%), the pandemic year increased the importance of health measures taken in the building (for 51% of respondents) and of the workspace structure, with greater emphasis on delimited offices that facilitate distancing (for 49.3% of respondents). At the same time, 41% say that, from now on, they will carefully evaluate what technologies are available in the workplace to ensure better protection for their health and for the health of their colleagues.

52% of the employees believe that, in the future, offices should provide an integrated experience beetween  work, lifestyle, entertainment, and socializing. Another 45% consider that the current situation represents an opportunity for the integration of technologies based on artificial intelligence which can eliminate repetitive and routine activities whilst redefining how they will work in the future. Lastly, 40% want to have the opportunity to work in spaces that give them a better environment to manifest their creativity.

"People increasingly feel the need to interact with colleagues and want to do so in a healthier environment that enhances their skills and creativity. Therefore, the year that has just ended is not only the year of the pandemic, but also the year that triggered changes regarding office life and the way offices will be designed from now on. In this context, IMMUNE™ comes as a solution to diminish health risks and employees’ concerns, so that people can rediscover the office the way it will look in the future”, says Darren Allen, Genesis Property development manager, responsible for implementing the IMMUNE™ project.

IMMUNE™ is the first open source global certification standard to certify built environment’s level of immunity to withstand present and future health challenges and minimize the impact of a pandemic such as COVID-19 and other bacteriological or toxicological threats.

The Genesis Property survey regarding the employees' perceptions about the future of offices was conducted in November 2020 through the iVox platform, on a sample of 1,062 internet users across the country, of which almost 60% women and over 70% aged between 25 and 40. 8 out of 10 were employed full-time and approximately 77% held positions that entail office work, in areas such as IT, consulting, finance, energy, real estate, automotive or commerce.