This article explores what ‘hybrid working’ means for the role of those workplaces often referred to as ‘3rd Places’ – not the employer’s official office or the employee’s home.

I’ve just collected my double caramel latte from the barista and settled myself at one of the shared tables, seating now separated by transparent plastic partitions, a response to increased social distancing regulations. I open my laptop, plug into the outlet specifically designated for my seat, sign into free Wi-Fi, and take a brief pause to assess my surroundings; next to me there’s a guy also on a laptop, seemingly both engrossed in whatever he is doing and yet quite oblivious to the animated conversation taking place behind him. At the breakfast bar looking onto the street one man is reading the local newspaper, while another is scanning his iPad. In the back corner a girl looking to be in her mid-twenties, wearing what I imagine to be a noise cancelling headset, is engaged in a video conference call.

Remote work is not a new concept. Even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there were estimates that 10% of the workforce consisted of remote workers (1). However, COVID-19 has instigated the largest ‘work from home experiment’ of all time, driven by organisations closing their offices to all but non-essential staff.

Remote work has been around longer than many realise. While not mainstream, as early as the 1970s there are examples of people working outside of the traditional office. Large and unplanned
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