Read at 3 different speeds

The changing face of New York City - 12th March 2021

Wall Street, New York, synonymous with finance, business and streets bustling with executives, hustlers and traders, now lies virtually abandoned.

Like other cities around the world, New York has been hit badly by the pandemic. So, for many, the daily grind has shifted from office to home.

Among his staff of 8, Luc Kamperman of Veldhoen+ company is the only one to start making a weekly visit to their office. While he enjoys coming in, he is fully aware of shifting work patterns. He predicts a changing workplace climate, with wider consequences.

Luc Kamperman: "But I do think that we will see a different type of vibe and that people are only coming in two or three days a week and not five days a week. So it will have a massive impact on everything that's built around these offices and having all, you know, all these people going to shops and cafes, etc."

Despite tech giants Google and Facebook expanding their workplaces since the pandemic began, the more relaxed lifestyle of remote working suits many employees. Experts propose companies transform their offices into more appealing spaces for mentoring, camaraderie and fostering creativity.

They need to offer more than a space for calling or emailing, just as easily done from home. Bhushan Sethi, a workforce expert, has co-authored a report on remote working.

Bhushan Sethi: "Number of companies have been surveying their people on their comfort with coming back to the office. The, the main population who are looking to return back are people who either live in the city, where they can walk or cycle to work, or younger people. There are some younger people that have never been in a physical workplace and they're really craving that, or they live in a shared apartment."