This is how hybrid work should, well, really work
BEFORE Covid, the traditional work routine was to go to the office; during Covid, it was work-from-home; and now, since Covid, it is a mixture of both.
But new research reveals that many businesses do not know how to offer the best hybrid workspaces, or how to support their employees in the office.
In a recent report by JLL Global Benchmarking Services and JLL Global Research, titled “Hybrid Work Decoded”, 5 300 survey participants in 15 countries revealed some of the biggest challenges with hybrid workspaces, and businesses that allow it.
Most employers are convinced that they must embrace hybrid work and provide real flexibility to their people, but many are unsure about how best to support their employees in the new working landscape.
“They find it challenging to truly comprehend how work gets done and how the office needs to adjust to produce the right environment for their people to flourish,” the report says.
The research revealed:
1. There is a richer purpose to the office of the future than the one we
BY BONNY FOURIE bronwyn.fourie@inl.co.zainitially anticipated.
Besides supporting collaboration and socialisation, the office plays a key role in work-life separation and in establishing necessary healthy working routines.
Naturally, each place of work is appreciated for its distinct attributes:
The need for socialising and interactivity is clearly the prime driver for returning to the office.
The office is also valued for its ability to provide access to the right set of technologies. Home working, on the other hand, scores highly on work-life balance, well-being and focused work.
“However, there is nothing ‘black and white’ in employees’ preferences and behaviours,” the report says.
2. Even though employees can choose between different places of work, they struggle to compartmentalise their weekly activities between the office and home.
Focused work remains the core of office workers’ reality, with 55% of total working time during the week spent on focused work.
“But, quite strikingly, half of this time is in the office, while the other half is at home, demonstrating the difficulty for office workers to fully
rationalize their weekly schedule and dedicate their days in the office to pure collaboration and interaction.” Virtual collaboration happened in both places in almost the same proportions, the study found.
“This difficulty in rationalising working time to make the most of both home and office workplaces highlights a growing need for managerial support and piloting.”
The report adds: “Another layer of complexity in the new hybrid world is the increasing number of hybrid meetings. Workers expect that 60% of their meetings will be hybrid in the future. The ability to have an effective meeting that includes actual and virtual participants is currently one of the biggest challenges.
“The new nature of meetings means that smaller rooms are required in the office along with improved technological provision and experience. Efficient and easyto-use space-booking systems are becoming essential.”
3. The post-pandemic office must address the need for focused individual work.
Today, according to the survey participants, people spend 51% of their time on focused work in the office, with concentrated
individual work mostly undertaken at workstations but also in informal open-work points or dedicated focus rooms.
“This surprising finding is universal for all geographies and industries. However, although many hybrid offices now tend to focus on collaboration, we believe that enabling focused and private work is also a very important part of boosting performance in the office.
“To make the journey to the office worthwhile, both collaborative and focused work needs to be facilitated.”
The JLL report also questions whether employees have become less resilient to noise.
“As individual work and virtual meetings keep a central place in the office routine, there is now a stronger expectation from employees in terms of workplace acoustics and access to a range of workspace options that suit their individual needs.
“These two features are in the top three under-delivered aspects of the office experience today.
“Acoustics is a growing issue: people complain about the lack of sound privacy and the difficulty to retreat to a quiet space during their day.
“They also point to excessive internal noise levels and the absence of workplace guidelines that would make work in open areas and on hot-desking workstations less disturbed and more respectful of individuals’ needs in terms of privacy and concentration.”
Open-plan and hot-desking arrangements therefore require changed management efforts.
“While these types of work settings now tend to be more accepted by hybrid workers –as part of the new ‘win-win’ with the employer – they continue to raise questions about how they should be best used and how they might benefit from increased training, guidance and change management.
“The needs for privacy, confidentiality and concentration
remain pivotal to many types of job and should be addressed more carefully,” JLL researchers say.
4. Hybrid workers are not properly supported in their new work style.
JLL states that today’s new work style is an opportunity for the office to reinvent its promise in a context where many workers have returned to the same offices that they worked in pre-Covid, even though their working styles have changed considerably.
“Consequently, we are seeing a significant gap between their expectations and the workplace experience currently delivered to them.”
The report says hybrid workers consistently rate their office experience at lower levels than the rest of the worker population – in other words, those working in a single place, exclusively at home or the office – and yet they value their office.
“More than others, they struggle with gaining access to the spaces they need, and they find the office noisy and stressful. Nonetheless, the office remains a safe haven and a place for collaboration and socialisation.”
As a result, hybrid workers have high expectations of their employers. Despite enjoying huge flexibility, they have trouble in creating healthy routines and maintaining close relationships with their colleagues.
JLL says they require dedicated emotional support, a working environment adapted to their needs, and technology solutions that enable work in the office to be carried out in the best conditions.
“Well-being – whether mental, social or physical – is hard for them to achieve.
“More than others, hybrid workers regret the lack of choice in terms of wellness initiatives, the absence of clear and bold well-being policy, the lack of employer engagement in favour of a healthier lifestyle, and the low relevance of the available wellbeing initiatives.”
Most employers are convinced they must embrace a hybrid system and flexibility but are unsure about how to go about it . Research helps shed light
This is how much SA property owners earn on Airbnb
The average rate of around R850 a night upwards and, in some cases, as much as R100 000 in peak season is helping cover household bills and daily expenses
MORE than R100 million in nine months is what new South African Airbnb hosts collectively earned last year, the short-term rental giant says.
And with inflation and a rising cost of living, it’s no surprise that earning extra money and saving more in 2023 are near the top of many New Year’s resolution lists.
From January to September last year, new Airbnb hosts in the country earned more than R115m.
“We may only be a few weeks into the New Year, but many soon-to-be hosts are wasting no time listing homes in 2023,” the company says.
“New insights from Airbnb show that about 15% of South African hosts that became active last January went on to become Superhosts.”
Benita, a new Airbnb host in the Western Cape, recently
BY BONNY FOURIE bronwyn.fourie@inl.co.zalisted a space in her home. Her daughter moved out of the house to study and this created an opportunity for her bedroom to be converted into an Airbnb listing.
“I think we’re all noticing the rising cost of living, and having the additional income has certainly helped us pay bills and other everyday costs.”
Referring to this past holiday season in South Africa, Arno de Wit, of Pam Golding Properties Property Rental and Management for the City Bowl, De Waterkant, and Foreshore, said average holiday lets on the Atlantic Seaboard varied from R1 500 to R6 000 a day for apartments, and R9 000 to R50 000 a day for villas.
Nick Pearson, the chief executive of Tyson Properties, states though, that the price of short-term lets along the Atlantic Seaboard varies drastically, depending on the property and the time of year.
“The average rate is somewhere around R10 000 per day, however, this price escalates in peak season. The most expensive I know of is a rental that Tyson Properties concluded in excess of R100 000 per day.”
In November, James Carney, a Double Diamond agent at Tyson Properties Atlantic Seaboard, said studio apartments in Sea Point ranged upwards of R850 a night for off-season rentals, and normally reached R1 500 a night in peak season.
“A modest four-bedroom home in Camps Bay can reach up to R25 000 per night over summer, and more modern homes in the same area have fetched R70 000 per night.
“Large villas in Clifton and Bantry Bay usually fetch the highest nightly rental rates which, ultimately, go back to the value of the property. I have concluded rentals for over R100 000 per
night for two-week rentals in Clifton, however, if clients want services added, such as private chefs, drivers, security, etcetera, then this nightly rate swiftly increases.”
While Ross Levin, the managing director for Seeff Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl, says flats in Sea Point and the CBD are more affordable, at R2 000 to R20 000 per day, the average for the Atlantic Seaboard is around R15 000 to R30 000 but can go as high as R500 000 a day for a super luxury villa in the likes of Clifton.
“These, however, are rare and often tend to be international bookers usually paying in dollars, euros or pounds, although wealthy South Africans have been known to pay as much as R100 000 per night for a super luxury home on the Atlantic Seaboard.”
The KZN South Coast also remains extremely popular for
its “fabulous” weather, many Blue Flag beaches and holidayfriendly coastal towns and villages, says Joleen Giraudeau, the manager for Seeff South Coast. It is also very accessible for inland visitors and only about one to two hours from Durban.
She says the average rates are around R1 300 to R3 000 a night.
Sabrina Errico, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty broker principal in Ballito and uMhlanga, says the average rental is between R700 and R2 000 a night out of season, and between R1 500 and R4 000 in peak season.
“The rates can go as high as R8 000 to R10 000 per day for upmarket houses and larger apartments.”
Pearson adds, however, that if you are buying a holiday home that you want to rent out when you are not using it, you must do your homework.
RENISHAW HILLS MUSIC IN THE PARK OPEN DAY
EVERYONE is invited to Renishaw Hills in Scottburgh on Sunday, February 12, for a day of family fun at Music in the Park.
Singing sensation, Kat, will be entertaining audiences in the beautiful indigenous gardens of the KZN South Coast estate from noon to 4pm, as an early Valentine’s Day celebration.
Visitors are invited to bring their own chairs, blankets and picnic baskets for a relaxed Sunday music session.
The event will coincide with the Renishaw Hills Open Day and everyone is invited to view the incredible coastal estate, which is the first development within the 2.6-million square metre, mixed-use Renishaw
Coastal Precinct. Renishaw Hills has launched Phase 6, a series of high-end maisonettes boasting spectacular sea views and houses surrounded by coastal greenery. Anyone who’s looking to start a new adventure can book a tour by emailing sales@renishawhills.co.za or visiting www.renishawhills.co.za
RONDEBOSCH R2,5 MILLION
RONDEBOSCH R5,3 MILLION CAVENDISH HEIGHTS R2,1 MILLION
ROSEBANK R1,65 MILLION
RONDEBOSCH
RONDEBOSCH R1,95 MILLION
Spacious Three Bedroomed Apartment (123m²) above the Main Road in pretty garden setting. Fitted Kitchen and Bathroom. *Parking Bay. Walk to
over Bath. Fitted Kitchen. *Garage. *Walk to Shopping Centres, Restaurants, UCT and Transport.
CONTACT: RHONDA C: 082 448 7795 T: 021 685 2212 E: RRPSALES@MWEB.CO.ZA / WWW.RHONDARAADPROPERTIES.CO.ZA
A RARE OPPORTUNITY
NOT TO BE MISSED
This magnificent home sits high on our beautiful mountain at the edge of National Parks land and has uninterrupted views across False Bay towards Simon’s Town, the Hottentots Holland Mountains of Somerset West/Stellenbosh and South to Rooi Els as far as the eye can see.
Once you enter you almost have the feeling of being on board ship with every room boasting breathtaking views from every corner of the property.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:
TOP LEVEL: 1:
3 Garages with direct access double glazing, sliding doors and Euro style open in/tilt windows and doors for easy cleaning with lounge and dining view preserving Luxaflex Blinds. Fantastic entertainers kitchen with views, Luxaflex Blinds, open in/tilt windows, easy access drawer and cupboard systems. Energy saving instant water heaters for kitchen and bathrooms. 3 phase energy supply to enable load balancing and instant water heating. Beautifully appointed entrance, secure and side garden patio, lounge and dining areas with large balcony, 3 x 316 plate stainless steel pillars clad in ALU support sea facing beam. Low maintenance Rhein Zinc Eave cladding and gutter on main roof. Warranties on main and new garage roofing. Stainless steel recessed gutter on main roof feeds 2 x 6000 litre tanks in large level 3 store room, programmable water system.
LEVEL 2.
2 Bedrooms both with beautiful en suites, common balcony access and fabulous views. Ample cupboards. Carpeted bedroom areas..
LEVEL 3.
This level is office space with a separate bathroom at the moment but can be turned into an apartment with its own entrance or alternately another 2 bedrooms. Inside ALU American Shutters for security and comfort.
ASKING PRICE R7.25 MILLION
Bidding opens 22 FEB 2023 @ 12h00 https://bidlive.maskell.co.za
URGENT ONLINE AUCTION OF A PRIME ±8396m² MEDIUM IMPACT MIXED USE STAND WITH ROAD FRONTAGE TO BOTH WHITE ROAD AND MURDOCH CRESCENT: LOCATED IN WESTGATE, PIETERMARITZBURG IDEAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS
The property is zoned as Medium Impact Mixed Use which provides for a restricted range of commercial activities, workshops, offices, restaurants, residential development at medium intensities of development and with limited impacts
last 10 min, bidding will remain open for an additional 10 min - If any further
± 228 HA’S OF COMMERCIAL/DEVELOPMENT & AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES WITH HUGE VARIETY OF SUPERMARKET EQUIPMENT
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE VALUABLE PROPERTIES IN FAST GROWING AREA OF JOHANNESBURG SOUTH
LOT 1: PTN 217, PTN 4 (Re) & PTN 98 OF FARM OLIFANTSVLEI 327 & HOLDINGS
PTNS 8 (Re), 11 & 13 WINFORD AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS
Measuring: ± 62 ha
Land distribution:
Buildings/roads: ± 26.8 ha; equipped land: ± 14.34 ha; recycling plant: ± 1,2 ha;
House & workshop: ± 3,37 ha; tunnels:± 6,64 ha; dam and natural grazing: ± 3,28 ha;
Small holdings: ± 5,9 ha
Improvements: (± 37 463 m²)
• Retail section plus offices (7 680 m²); 5 separate buildings (9 024 m²).
• Lapa; warehouse; training building & packing store (building in progress).
• Shed for fodder (2 000m²); covered roof for cattle (10 000m²); 5 x 10 x 25 m. shaded areas & large net shaded area (6900m²).
• House & flatlet; lapa; garages & workshop; 2 old houses & a further 5 houses outbuildings.
• Broiler house for chickens.
Water & electricity: 2 x water cleaning plants & 2 x big soil dams. Eskom power.
Tunnels: 12 x 35 x 10m rib tunnels; 6 x 40 x 10 m rib tunnels; 18 x 10 x 35m rib t unnels 18 x 10 x 35m rib tunnels .
LOT 2: PORTIONS 17 (Re), 132 (Re) & 133 OF FARM ALEWYNSPOORT 145
Measuring: Land Distribution: ± 44.8 ha
Equipped land: ± 20, 2 ha;
Building/ roads: ± 2,6 ha; natural grazing: ± 19.2 ha; waste land: ± 2,5 ha
Improvements: Two pig sty’s (2 400m²) & large shed (1 000m²) & house (150m²).
Water license: (Ptn 133), water & electricity on Alewynspoort
151 278m³/year is allowed, adequate water for 20,1704 ha of land.
Water cleaning plant & big soil dam. Eskom Power
LOT 3: PORTION 165 OF FARM ALEWYNSPOORT 145
Measuring: Land Distribution: ± 5 ha. Equipped land
LOT 4: PORTIONS 73; 80, 81, 83, 84, 124, 125, & 126 OF FARM
BRONKHORSTFONTEIN 329 Measuring: ± 44,8 ha
Land distribution: Roads/wasteland: ± 2,5 ha. Homesteads: ± 1,22 ha, Dry land: ± 4,87 ha, Equipped land: ± 27,56 ha, Irrigation land: ± 10.4 ha and irrigation land for the trees, Almond trees: ± 5,87 ha. Water licence, water & electricity on Bronkhorstfontein 329:
A total of 82 800m³/year is allowed, adequate water for 16,56 ha of land & borehole.
Eskom Power 6 houses, 2 pig sty’s and a shed.
Improvements:
LOT 5: HOLDINGS 14 & 15 WINFORD AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS
Measuring: Improvements: ± 5,3 ha.
Vacant land (Borders Property 1)
LOT 6: HOLDING 5 WINFORD AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS
Measuring: Improvements: ± 2 ha. House & outbuildin gs
LOT 7: PORTION 203 OF FARM OLIFANTSVLEI 327
Measuring: Improvements: ± 1,1 ha.
Vacant land situated behind the Lido Hotel
LOT 8: LOTS 1; 2; 3; 5; 6 & 7 OFFERED AS ONE LOT
LOT 9: LOTS 1 TO 7 OFFERED AS ONE LOT
LOT 10: PLOT 33, ALEWYNSPOORT
Measuring Improvements : ± 28,8 ha. : 6 bedroom mansion with 3 cottages, tennis court, horse stables, swimming pool, gym with sauna, Jacuzzi & much more.
MOVABLES OFFERED SEPARATELY ON ONLINE AUCTION 15-16 MARCH 2023 Various loose assets of complete supermarket and restaurant such as cutlery, crockery, tills, shelving, fridges, furniture and all related appliances and more. Contact us for a complete list!
AGENTS’ DIRECTORY
DOGON GROUP PROPERTIES
Atlantic Seaboard Office 021 433 2580
thekings@dogongroup.com
www.dogongroup.com
RHONDA RAAD PROPERTIES
Cape Town Office 082 448 7795
Email: rrpsales@mweb.co.za
www.rhondaraadproperties.co.za
SHELLEY RESIDENTIAL
KZN
Office 082 412 4463
Email: hello@shelley.co.za
www.shelley.co.za
DOGON GROUP RENTALS
Sea Point Office 021 433 2580
enquiries@dogongroup.com
www.dogongroup.com
DOGON GROUP PROPERTIES
Southern Suburbs, Claremont Office 021 671 0258
southernsuburbs@dogongroup.com www.dogongroup.com
CAPE WINELANDS
Nicho 072 601 1772
Hannes 066 476 1890
sales@aandewijnlanden.co.za
viognier.aandewijnlanden.co.za
SERENITY HILLS ECO ESTATE
KZN, South Coast Office 073 142 8292
Email: home@serenityhills.co.za
www.serenityhills.co.za
PETER MASKELL AUCTIONEERS
KZN
Office: 033 397 1190
Email: info@maskell.co.za
www.bidlive.maskell.co.za
BALWIN PROPERTIES
Ballito Office 084 788 1020
Email: michelle@balwin.co.za
www.balwin.co.za
DOGON GROUP PROPERTIES
Western Seaboard
Office: 021 556 5600 or 021 433 2580 enquiries@dogongroup.com www.dogongroup.com
VAN’S AUCTIONEERS
Gauteng Office 086 111 8267
www.vansauctions.co.za
www.iolproperty.co.za
WIDENHAM RETIREMENT
VILLAGE South Coast, KZN 066 306 0669 / 066 306 0612
www.hibiscusrv.co.za
www.widenhamretirementvillage.co.za