Once a symbol of corporate success, the spacious private office was in decline before the pandemic, and that trend has intensified. Savills, the property broker, says small financial boutiques and business consultancies retain the highest number of private office allocations, while tech and insurance companies have the fewest. For hybrid workers, locking yourself away makes no sense, says Peggie Rothe, Leesman’s chief insights and research officer: “Commuting to the office to then sit on your own in a private office, there’s no point because you have that at home.”Katharine Harle, partner at Dentons, does not miss the private office she lost when the law firm shifted to open plan after the pandemic. “People can get very het up” about private offices, adds Clay. “There can be some particularly unique characters and it’s best they’re in a private office.

Source: The Irish Times February 05, 2026 14:31 UTC