One business leader recently likened himself to a wombat who hesitantly pops his head out of his burrow to inspect for danger before allowing the other wombats to emerge.
 
The return to work has begun, albeit slowly and warily. Business leaders know that the office they are returning to will not be the same office they left back in early March. In fact, it will never be the same office again. It would be foolish to ignore the heightened sense of anxiety that accompanies this. While there remains a myriad of issues (economic, physical and mental health related) to deal with upon our return, businesses should first look at their strategy to help them make a successful return.

​With restrictions set to ease and budgets thrown out the window for this financial year, many organisations are rethinking what the NEW norm looks like. Studies are already revealing that Australia’s workforce has enjoyed numerous benefits of working from home, among them, reduced commuting, increased work-life balance, and greater productivity. As a result, many workplaces are now looking at how they can support this newfound flexibility and reduce their operational expense.
 
The concept of ABW, or agile working is receiving a lot of attention, and while the past couple of months have been manageable for the short term, there are a number of key factors that should be considered before investing in this approach for the long term.

The Federal Government has passed the COVID-19 Omnibus Bill which includes important commercial and residential tenancy changes. The code comes into effect in all states and territories after 3 April 2020 for the period during which the Commonwealth JobKeeper program is operational.  

When the JobKeeper was originally released, the mechanisms for a NFP to qualify where not properly considered. As a result, a secondary test has been included and to further assist the application of the JobKeeper program and how it relates to NFPs (excluding charities) Treasury have released a supplementary fact sheet.

Read our summary of the key aspects of the legislation and the eligibility of NFPs for JobKeeper in this article.

​To say that 2020 has been a challenging year so far is an understatement. Many businesses have been quick to adapt to the new norm, embracing different ways of working and online communication tools. As they do so, many find themselves shifting their mindset, from ‘survival’ to ‘opportunity’. As these new opportunities begin to present themselves, they will no doubt leave an impact on our commercial property landscape.
 
Today, BRM is addressing some questions about change and opportunity for both landlords and tenants.