Beyond the desk: navigating people and property in the insurance sector

In discussion with key members of the insurance sector about the challenges of evolving hybrid working models post-pandemic we unearthed ten key takeaways.

1. Mandated office attendance?

There was a reluctance to mandate a five day a week presence, with most instead preferring a flexible and collaborative approach (with various labels attached to this: hybrid, agile, smart, or dynamic working).  

2. Horses for courses

Some roles are just better suited to agile working whereas others mean people need to be in the offices or out in the market in EC3. Greater office attendance was expected/encouraged in relation to certain roles be it brokers, underwriters or more generally senior staff members, with the acknowledgement that those less likely to be in client facing roles were not necessarily required to be in the office so much. Organisations believe (or rather hope) that people work this out for themselves without needing to be told what would work better for them and their team. There is of course the logical conclusion as to why those personnel in non client facing roles would then need to be in a London based office at all with all the related implications.

3. How to spread the load

The overall consensus was that no matter what the expectation or requirement, footfall was undoubtedly at its peak on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with an increase in trend on Mondays. As a result, the real issue was whether there was a need to spread attendance more evenly across the week to get the best use out of the offices which are costing so much more to run year on year and indeed how to achieve that successfully. Some businesses have already mandated a Monday or Friday as part of an employee’s required weekly office attendance.

4. The carrot is dead, long live FOMO

Many agreed that offering freebies and other incentives to encourage people into the office, whilst capable of generating results in the short term, ultimately did not work as a long-term solution as the cost of commuting simply outweighs the benefits derived from such offerings. Most acknowledged, however, that the power of a fear of missing out, in and of itself would drive attendance. In addition, it was suggested that if senior personnel are encouraged into the office (or indeed take the lead in office attendance) then personnel will follow.

5. How to avoid embarrassment

There is no doubt that all business leaders are having huge difficulties in predicting what the future may look like in terms of office attendance and space requirements. Bearing in mind that office leases are typically taken for 10 years or more in the case of larger space requirements, no one wants to be in a position of making the wrong decision about square footage should the people policy change in the intervening period – particularly with the speed and potential disruption that AI could well have on the working environment. How best to avoid this? Availability of flex or swing space within the building you occupy saves embarrassment both internally and externally.

6. Where is the evidence?

A chief concern was the hard evidence around office attendance driving productivity. Whilst lawyers can broadly measure this through chargeable hours (and query whether chargeable hours are a true measure of productivity) it was debated whether it is genuinely possible to accurately measure productivity at all; if so, whether employers have the right data to achieve that; and whether they are thinking about it in the right way – for example should one measure input or output? 

7. Gimmicks and amenities

While it was accepted that some amenities which the developers of newer office buildings are offering are useful, if not essential, to the operation of an office environment (think auditoriums, meeting spaces etc.), the room was sceptical around the long-term use and utility of climbing walls, gyms and even vast squashy sofas that are never sat on.  

8. The importance of a good line manager

Whatever the physical environment, strong leadership and good quality line management were considered to have a key role in overall performance (regardless of location), greater office attendance and team cohesion. So, if business leaders are seeking greater office attendance and/ or to reduce attrition, one answer could be providing better training to managers on how to manage their teams in a hybrid environment.

9. Implied terms and possibility of discrimination

There is no doubt that the suggestion that regardless of what is written in an employment contract, employees could claim they had implied rights as a result of long-term hybrid working patterns evolving over the last five years struck fear into the hearts of those responsible for day-to-day operations. Increasing office attendance against the backdrop of these types of arguments, a societal expectation of hybrid working and the legal framework that promotes flexible working is not straightforward. As such, some employers in the market are having to deal with grievances and even claims from employees not wanting to return - with some claiming that return to the office policies are discriminatory.

10. Long live EC3

With rents rising to more than six figures per square foot, the obvious question was: is it worth it? Do we need to be here? The resounding answer was yes! The insurance market is here to stay – at least for the foreseeable.

As the insurance sector continues to reshape how and where work happens, now’s the moment to take stock – and take action.