Beyond the Desk: What We Lose When We Stop Going to the Office

There are things that don't appear in productivity reports or company annual reports. Small, almost invisible things that happen in the hallways, at the coffee machine, or in the office kitchen. Spontaneous comments, a shared laugh, an impromptu piece of advice, or that conversation about the latest TV show that, without knowing how, connects us. We're losing all of that when we turn work into something that only happens in front of a screen.

Teleworking gives us more flexibility, autonomy, and time. But it also reduces something essential: the most human aspect of work. Contact. The team. The "let's get a coffee." And while extremes (mandatory in-person work or permanent teleworking) have been necessary at different times, the data are beginning to paint a much more intermediate and balanced picture.

At Busquets Gálvez, we conducted a study with several human resources consulting firms that puts numbers to this shared sentiment. More than 50% of workers prefer a hybrid model, especially with one or two days of homework per week. Only 16% opt for complete remote work, while 31% still prefer a 100% in-person format. Flexibility has become a widespread expectation, not as an escape from the office, but rather as a way to adapt work to life without giving up the connections that make it meaningful.

And 90% of the professionals surveyed say they would be happy to work in person... if the office meets certain minimum standards of well-being: natural light, warm design, ergonomic furniture, pleasant common areas, green areas, terraces. It's not about luxury, it's about common sense. To attract, the office can no longer be just a place to work; it must be a place where people want to be.

This perception coincides with other recent market reports. According to the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census), 14.6% of workers in Spain regularly telework, a figure well below the European average of around 22%. And only 13% of employees work 100% remotely, while 67% do so one or two days a week (data from Robert Walters). Offices, therefore, are still necessary. But their function has changed: they are no longer just the center of work, but the center of meeting.

From our position as a real estate consultancy, we see it every day: developers and owners who have understood this change are leading the market. Those who are investing in renovating spaces, incorporating shared areas, adding vegetation, designing offices with their own identity... are also the ones who are improving their occupancy rates and increasing their profitability. They understand this clearly: if the client walks in and says "wow," the price per square meter becomes secondary. We used to look at Google offices and think they were the exception, but now we've realized they're the norm.

Team dynamics

But it's not just a matter of aesthetics. Management teams also know this: a well-designed office improves morale, productivity, and a sense of belonging. The best ideas aren't always born in a scheduled meeting, but rather in an informal chat around the microwave. Team dynamics are strengthened not with more "calls," but with more in-person "Do you have a minute?" conversations. Or to put it another way: more coffee and less "Teams."

It's true that not all locations are playing with the same cards. In many peripheral areas, the absorption of new office supply is slowing, not because of a lack of demand, but because the quality of the product doesn't yet meet the expectations of companies and workers, and because the quantity and quality of services in the area can't compete with those in the city center. It's no longer enough to have square footage and parking spaces: you have to have light, soul, and a design that puts the user at the center. Remember those who laughed when they saw a foosball table or a video game console in a break room? Just like before, these kinds of "goodies" are no longer the exception, but the norm.

Hybrid work isn't a compromise; it's a logical evolution. But for it to work, the office must compete with the home. Not in comfort, perhaps, but in connection, in relationships, in community. Because it's hard to get motivated in front of an Excel spreadsheet alone, but we all feel part of something when we share goals, coffee, and conversations with our loved ones.

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And so we return to the beginning: without coffee, without conversation, and without a team, work becomes colder, and also lonelier. And, in the long run, less human.