Office peacocking has experienced a significant return in 2024. This trend involves businesses enhancing workplace surroundings with lavish design and facilities in an attempt to entice employees back. This word is highlighted in the Owl Labs 2023 State of Hybrid Work study, which reflects the growing attempts made by employers to attract their staff back to physical office locations. The name of the trend refers to the bird’s showy feathers and draws a comparison between the endeavors of businesses to design visually appealing workspaces.
The push and pull of return-to-office mandates
The CEO of Owl Labs, Frank Weishaupt, claims that many businesses have had difficulty striking a balance between in-office, hybrid, and remote work. Some companies have implemented strict return-to-office (RTO) regulations, but others have adopted more accommodating work-from-anywhere policies in response to employee pushback.
The research from Owl Labs indicates that a significant percentage of the workforce favors flexibility despite the push for in-office presence. For example, 62% of workers would put up with a 10% or greater salary reduction in exchange for continuing to have hybrid working conditions. This data emphasizes how crucial flexibility and work-life balance are becoming in today’s workforce.
What is office peacocking?
Office peacocking involves companies investing in office aesthetics and amenities such as fancy decor, stocked kitchens, and comfortable furniture. The aim is to make the office more appealing and to counter the resistance against RTO mandates.
This strategy is part of a broader attempt to recreate pre-pandemic work environments, despite evidence that many employees now value flexibility over in-office perks. The effort to create a visually appealing and comfortable office space is seen as a way to entice employees back, even when they might prefer the convenience and flexibility of remote work.
Employee resistance and emerging trends
The 2023 data from Owl Labs shows that 66% of respondents are back in the office full-time, but only 22% desire this setup. Business travel has also returned to pre-pandemic levels, yet subtle forms of resistance like “coffee badging” and “shadow policies” have emerged.
Coffee badging refers to employees showing up at the office briefly, often just for a coffee, before leaving, while shadow policies involve managers allowing remote work despite official in-office requirements. These trends indicate a disconnect between official company policies and the actual practices of employees and managers.
Additional findings from the Owl Labs Report
The Owl Labs report also highlighted several key findings:
- Flexibility is crucial: If the option to work in a hybrid or remote environment was removed, 42% of workers would look for another job with more flexibility.
- Productivity in hybrid work: 90% of hybrid workers say they feel equally or more productive when working in a hybrid format.
- Managerial insights: 79% of managers report that they feel their team is more productive when working remotely or in a hybrid model.
The 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report
The 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report revealed that while a majority of employers have embraced changes in “where” people work, many have not adopted the necessary practices to support these changes effectively. Nearly three out of four workers stated that their employer has not trained managers to lead a distributed team, established team or meeting norms, or adopted best practices to support working across distances. This gap in effective implementation highlights a significant challenge in the modern workplace.
The rise of polyworking and side hustles
To escape the confines of office peacocking, many employees are turning to polyworking and side hustles. Owl Labs’ report indicates that 46% of employees have at least one additional job, with 68% of these individuals working full-time in-office. Moreover, full-time office workers are twice as likely to have additional jobs compared to their hybrid and remote counterparts. This trend underscores the growing desire for financial security and personal fulfillment that cannot always be achieved through a single full-time job.
The future of work: Flexibility over aesthetics
Even though a beautifully designed office can be attractive, flexibility is the key to happy employees. According to Owl Labs’ research, employees are more drawn to benefits like paid commuting, increased privacy at work, and flexible dress requirements than lavish office spaces. Remarkably, 31% of employees would begin seeking employment elsewhere if their boss required them to return to the workplace full-time. These observations highlight how critical it is to comprehend and accommodate the demands of the contemporary workforce.
Conclusion
The idea of “office peacocking” highlights a significant mismatch between employee preferences and management strategies. Substantial flexibility and support for a distributed workforce should take precedence over surface-level office renovations as businesses continue to negotiate the challenges of post-pandemic work settings. Higher satisfaction and retention rates are probably in store for employers who place a high priority on learning about and meeting the requirements of their staff members.
