First published on COMUNiTI, September 2024

Making the office better than home

Commentary on return-to-office mandates certainly heated up in recent weeks following the NSW Premier’s directive for employees across the public service to work principally from an approved workplace. While this mandate appears to be less about concerns relating to employee productivity and more to do with the reactivation and revitalisation of the city centres [a whole other conversation!], employee reactions to mandates remain unchanged.


While some organisations are mandating employees return to the office, others are exploring a motivation-based approach, with the state of their workplace being a key consideration.

And, it’s an important strategy.

The average workplace experience, as measured through the Leesman Index score (Lmi) has increased by nearly four points from 64.3 pre-pandemic to 67.9 post-pandemic. Organisations are clearly investing in workplace improvements to make the...

What’s the right solution for you?

First published on COMUNiTI, March 2024

As a workplace strategist I often get asked: "What's the best flexible work option: hot-desking, activity-based work or hybrid work?"

The answer isn't straightforward, and what I have learned is that people tend to use the terms interchangeably when they are all very different things.

Hot-desking:

Hot-desking became popular in the early 2000s when laptops and wireless connectivity meant employees didn’t have to work from a fixed desk.

My verdict:

I am not a fan of hot-desking. No matter how it might be ‘sold’ to employees, hot-desking is really about cramming more people into less space without any added amenities.

Activity-based work (ABW):

ABW and hot-desking often get confused, but they are not the same thing. ABW has surged in popularity in recent years as hand-held devices and cloud-based apps enabled even more work flexibility. Technology aside, ABW is also being...