R.I.P to the Traditional Office? Alternative Workspaces Gain Popularity

The days of a central office building or location may be over. Various surveys are finding more workers prefer picking where they want to work, rather than being assigned to a standard location.

The survey by Intelligent Office, a virtual office staffing agency, found that 70% of employees surveyed work from alternate locations on a regular basis. More than half are working in three or more places.

“This survey further identifies that today’s workers are continuing to shift towards a more personal and custom work style,” said Tom Camplese, chief operating officer for Intelligent Office. “We are continuing to find that to maintain productivity…a new breed of worker is conducting business on the go, and wants to be able to work more independently, from anywhere at any time.”

According to the survey, 29% of employees like to use libraries, hotels and restaurants as alternative workspaces, while 28% prefer doing work from coffee shops. While there’s a common misconception that workers away from a central location aren’t actually working, the research shows otherwise. The top activities employees are doing while out of the office include working independently, working while traveling and holding meetings. The freedom allowed by allowing workers to pick where they do business allows workers to maintain productivity while increasing mobility.

In the U.S., more than 50% of employees in California, Texas and Colorado are regularly working outside of their home and traditional office. Employees in Canada are adopting flexible work environments more quickly than workers in the U.S. 47% of Canadians work from alternative locations at least once a week, compared with just 22% of Americans.

If this trend continues, trudging into the office five days a week will no longer be the norm.