Office first

What is office first?

Office first is a concept that promotes the office as the central location for professional activities, unlike the "remote first" work model where remote work is prioritised.

This means that employees work most of the time in the office, often from the company's headquarters. However, they can use remote work for specific reasons, such as in the event of a major strike or other exceptional circumstances.

The office first model can be an attractive option for companies that place a high value on in-person collaboration and real-time communication, for the benefit of the smooth running of face-to-face activities. Full-time remote work may also be considered less productive or less suitable in some companies. However, taking into account the individual needs and preferences of employees through co-construction is crucial to finding the right balance.

Read our article on activity based working

The importance of the office first approach

The office first strategy considers the office as an essential space for company operations. Its implementation can be motivated by various factors, such as the nature of activities requiring a physical presence, the organisation's culture or management preferences. Offices are often designed to foster collaboration, creativity and teamwork, making them a valuable place for some companies.

The advantages of the office first model

For employers

• Facilitate communication and collaboration between the employee and their manager.
• Improve company culture: employees are all present in the office, on the various floors, helping to strengthen cohesion and the sense of belonging within teams and the company.
• Ensure better monitoring of productivity: in person, the employer can more easily supervise and measure the quality of employees' work, ensure the delivery of each project and indicate the way forward for the entire company.

For employees

• Improve social interactions: employees can interact face-to-face with their colleagues, which contributes to their social well-being and the creation of bonds.
• Balance professional and personal life: office first can help to clearly delineate these two worlds.
• Access professional resources and equipment: on site, employees have at their disposal all the equipment necessary to work in good conditions, with ergonomic chairs with castors, phone boxes, a good internet connection, etc. The office is specially designed for work, whereas the home may be less conducive to carrying out certain tasks (lack of space or suitable equipment).

Comparison with remote first

Office first is different from remote first, which prioritises remote work. While remote first allows employees to work from anywhere with an Internet connection, office first emphasises presence in the office as a central point. However, many companies in Paris and the rest of France are now adopting hybrid approaches, combining elements of both models to offer flexibility and choice to employees.

But before setting up this type of project, a thorough examination of the working environment should be carried out to check whether there is a real need. It is only after the deployment of a hybrid model that an initial evaluation should take place to see if this new organisation is a success.

In the press, we are seeing a growing trend in the use of the term "remote friendly". This concept gives employees the freedom to organise their working week between the office and their home. The employee can then be referenced on desk booking software which allows them to declare when they will be in remote work or in the office. This tool allows the employer to track the attendance habits of their employees. The processing of the data obtained allows decisions to be made: reorganisation of spaces with a new design for the furniture, adaptation of the remote work policy, etc.

Remote friendly also makes it possible to hold video meetings, in addition to face-to-face meetings, or to share a file on the web, such as in a cloud, so that the resource is accessible to employees wherever they are.

In summary

Office first is a work policy that favours the presence of employees in the office, unlike remote first, which encourages remote work. This policy can be adopted for several reasons, such as an incompatibility with remote work or the management's hesitation to adopt a hybrid organisation. Being present in the office has advantages, as it promotes collaboration and communication in person, but it can also go against the needs of employees. The key lies in consultation and co-construction with the teams.