Pause rooms, lounges, hot-desks and standing stations are spaces you’re more likely to find in your favourite coffee bar, right? Actually, you’re wrong. As more and more employers change their perceptions around productivity, so the traditional picture of what a physical office space looks like is set to undergo a major revolution.

Physical office spaces have come to think of “going green” as an essential element of the workplace. This includes a lot of natural light, indoor plants and easy access to outside areas. Canteens will mirror this concept by serving fresh and healthy organic food, and some companies will even implement power napping by installing furniture that allows for a 20-minute power nap each day.

The belief that healthy, well-rested workers perform better is carried further in the idea of wearable technology that sends alerts when a person’s energy is low and he or she needs rest.

It’s true – employers are finally finding that happiness in the workplace often comes from not being physically in the workplace. As a result, ideas and practices that challenge traditional notions of productivity are increasingly being implemented.

Key take-outs

• Banish your idea of what a traditional office looks like – things are changing
• Thanks to technology, people can be just as productive from a coffee shop or their own homes as they would be in the office
• Work/life balance is a concept that employers are taking seriously
• Sitting behind your desk from nine to five is an old-fashioned concept that is being replaced by more innovative, smarter ways of working
• Flexibility allows employees more control over where and when they do their work

What modern offices look like

• More collaborative spaces, such as lounges and pause rooms
• Open space and fewer desks – think of Google and Apple
• Employees can move around as they work
• Hot-desks and shared spaces mean individuals are no longer assigned their own desks and chairs

Work more flexibly

• Offices provide laptops instead of desk-top computers
• Free Wi-Fi is provided in most coffee shops and restaurants
• Fibre optics allow for better and faster Internet at home
• Smartphones allow you to check your mail and have an Internet connection no matter where you are
• Flexi-time means you can work the hours that work best for you without having to be physically present in the office