Has Your Employer Redesigned the Office for RTO — or Added Job Perks?

Did anything look different at the office when you went back? Has your workplace redesigned or renovated, or did your employer add any perks for those RTO? What would YOU change if you could?

The post Has Your Employer Redesigned the Office for RTO — or Added Job Perks? appeared first on Corporette.com.

While some employers clearly — and shortsightedly — don’t care if you aren’t exactly enthused about coming back to the office, others are making changes (with varied success) to entice workers back. We thought this would be an interesting discussion after seeing a recent WSJ story that touches on this: “Offices Ditch Harsh Fluorescent Lights. New Tech Is On the Way” [gift link]. (Because who doesn’t love harsh, buzzing lights?)

If you’re one of the many people who have transitioned from WFH to RTO, either voluntarily or under duress, did anything look or feel different at the office? Has your workplace redesigned or renovated, or did your employer add any perks for those RTO? What would YOU change if you could?

{related: the best office chairs for women}

The WSJ story focuses on making improvements to typical office lighting that add comfort, potentially increase employee productivity, and even provide health benefits. Here’s what they featured:

• circadian lighting, which is customized (brighter/dimmer, warmer/cooler) to the body’s circadian rhythms and can balance people’s melatonin and serotonin levels
• faux skylights, which produce “sunlight” and “moonlight” as needed
• adjustable lighting in certain spaces, e.g., conference rooms or private focus rooms
• AI-controlled windows that adjust to outdoor conditions (“Adjust to outdoor conditions, HAL.”)
• fancy lighted portals for transition spaces (hmm)

What’s the lighting like at your office, readers? And has your employer made other physical changes to make more employees more likely to want to return? What would YOU change?

Some companies are hoping to lure people back to work by focusing on majorly brightening up office spaces with color and decor. Check out this other WSJ story [gift link] about using color to boost productivity and motivation (the term “color-drenched” makes an appearance), and also this 2023 NYT story [gift link] about creating the ultimate Envy Office” by “try[ing] to combine the comforts of a living room and the glamour of a vacation” (hmm).

{related: better ergonomics at the office: what products have you tried and loved?}

What about adding employee perks that may make the return to the office a bit more attractive? Some companies are doing one or more of the following:

• relaxing office dress codes, often switching to business casual (we have tips!)
• offering commuter benefits, such as public transit passes, parking reimbursements, or even free parking
• covering relocation expenses for formerly remote workers
• giving raises (see Cameo‘s $10,000/year incentive)
• providing on-site childcare; subsidizing childcare
• allowing flexible work hours
• providing free lunches

Have your employers added any of the above, and did it/they factor into your decision to RTO? (We realize, of course, that some readers aren’t actually permitted to make a decision.)

On the more negative side: Did your office switch to a hot-desking setup (ugh) as people returned to work in person? Is the space more crowded than it was pre-pandemic because those hired as remote-only are now on-site? Any other unwelcome changes you’ve been dealing with since ending or tapering remote work?

{related: how to decorate your workspace?}

Readers, tell us about any changes your employer has made since RTO! And if you could transfer one thing (furniture, lighting, vibe) from your home office to your workplace, what would it be?

Stock photo via Stencil

The post Has Your Employer Redesigned the Office for RTO — or Added Job Perks? appeared first on Corporette.com.