Three quarters of firms say collaboration is the main reason for calling staff back, with 41% believing it will improve productivity. But aggressively repurposing space from fixed desk “me space” to collaborative “we space” has produced some unexpected challenges.

“Employees still spend half their time in the office on focused work – but the lack of bookable focus spaces means they’re struggling with distractions,” says Mejevitch.

What’s more, JLL found employees globally have 14 meetings per week, on average, and three quarters feature a mix of in person and face-to-face participants. Yet noise from those dialling in from their desks can be a stress point for nearby colleagues.

“Employers are once again having to rethink the balance and mix of spaceto ensure that staff can remain productive,” says Mejevitch.