A TRIP TO THE COPENHAGEN OFFICE

A trip to our Copenhagen Office reminds me that Offices still have value - how we untap that value in the UK is the question Last week I took the new air bridges as an opportunity to visit our Copenhagen office which has been operating more or less as normal since May. The experience was odd after so long in lockdown in the UK, but showed there is still light at the end of the tunnel. I saw in Denmark that the office didn't need to be covered in HAZMAT tape for everyone to still work safely at a distance. That we could still all sit around a white board (at a distance) and strategise in a way we simply wouldn't online. Knowing that employees were not facing the struggles of small flat working any longer was also a relief. What this means for the UK, certainly not the end of our offices, however where they are, what we do with them and how they are best used is almost certainly going to change. I believe that Denmark benefits:

1. Shorter, healthier and safer commutes

2. FAR lower cost of office space meaning lower densities and better work environment

3. We provide on site healthy lunch giving people a real moment in the day to socialise - something they lost being at home

Now to understand how to respond in the UK and not simply see the office as a cost to reduce.