Although many projected that office development projects would be cancelled due to the pandemic, that is not what the numbers are showing. Developments are ongoing despite the emergence of working from home and Eston forecasts about 160,000 sqm of offices for rent to be put on the market this year, following 230,000 sqm in 2020. Meanwhile, the pre-lease ratio of buildings under construction is lower than seen in previous years, in line with the current demand trend.

The future of work will be agile, flexible, and hybrid, says a new report by HB Reavis. According to “The Future of Work”, simply offering a split between at-home and in-office work is no longer enough. Increasing productivity and employee wellbeing is all about the digital experience, and 2020 has brought a new understanding of what the workplace should look like to both employers and employees.

Online retailer eMAG will invest €1.5 million in upgrading its HQ building to accommodate the hybrid work system as it aims to make the program permanent for more than 3,000 employees. The HQ will be transformed into a collaborative workspace and will be fitted with technology systems that support the mix of office and remote work.  

Budapest’s office market hasn’t collapsed but it has undergone a significant transformation over the past 12 months, and now the new normal has to be redefined, Valter Kalaus, Managing Director of consulting firm VLK Cresa explains.

Companies today are facing complex performance challenges as the COVID-19 resurgence heightens the need to reinvigorate employee engagement. JLL’s new “Human Experience” report explores these changing workforce dynamics and expectations in a post-pandemic world and offers insights for how forward-thinking companies can reimagine their approach to managing their people and workplaces to stay ahead in 2021.

Half of the employees who normally work in office buildings continued to work mainly from home even after the state of emergency was lifted, despite the fact that, during the summer, most companies began to bring back their employees partially or through rotation in the office spaces, as shown by a research study conducted by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox regarding the working methods of employees in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employers may not unilaterally order employees to work from home even in case of a strong resurgence of coronavirus infections and this would require a mutual agreement under new remote work rules that can now be considered final. Home officing would also be supported by a lump sum payment of overhead costs to the tune of HUF 16,100 (around €45) per month, tax-free. There are, however, still question marks regarding health and safety issues, local daily Magyar Nemzet reports.

Office spaces will become a hive of activity in the future as more businesses embrace office designs which promote innovation, creativity and team collaboration, predicts Colliers International. The EMEA Workplace Advisory team has published its latest report which evaluates feedback from its global Work from Home survey to discuss future workplace trends.

With the ease of travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, companies begin to resume their activity in the headquarters located in office buildings, but with only 40% of employees in a first phase, according to a survey of Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Businesses and landlords needing advice on how to safely bring their staff and tenants back to the office after the COVID-19 lockdown can now receive recommendations within a week from experts at Colliers International. The global real estate consultancy is using expertise from its Workplace Advisory and Project Management teams, within the EMEA Occupier Services department, to provide, quick, detailed and innovative solutions to maximise office capacity – including cost estimates.