Employers adapt to times with office policies

From the 28th floor of Seneca One tower, Lighthouse Technology Services has enviable views of downtown and far beyond.

Its offices are bright and colorful, with posters of movies made in Buffalo hung in one meeting room, and a game room aglow with Pac-Man and pinball. The technology staffing and services firm makes available snacks and drinks of employees’ choice, and the company pays for their parking and gym memberships at the tower.

Lighthouse’s offices feature different kinds of workspaces, including places where employees can collaborate. Depending on their jobs, employees are asked to come in one or two days a week, and have options for where to work the other days.

“I do believe that there is tremendous value in people getting together, that there’s an energy that you can feed off each other, idea sharing,” said Randy Harris, Lighthouse’s CEO. “I think there’s joy in everyday conversation that happens in person, aside from the collaboration of doing the work and getting the positive energy and positive results that come from working together.”

Four years after the pandemic disrupted the typical five-days-a-week in the office routine, employers have adjusted their work schedules and are looking for ways to make visits to the office more appealing.

Many employers have decided to stick with hybrid or remote work, while designating certain days for employees to gather in person for meetings and team building.

With the labor market tight, many employers have been reluctant to impose strict return-to-office mandates that could prompt workers to leave or job candidates to look elsewhere. In other cases, employers like the productivity they get from remote employees and see no need to revert to the old way of doing things.

The changes are impacting offices themselves. Some employers and developers are making renovations that favor collaboration over cubicles.

Other businesses have cut back on their space, as leases expire. That…