The return to now hybrid workspaces comes with a new reality that could undermine employee morale. For some, the ubiquity of Zoom windows introduced a desirable new flatness to workplace hierarchies. But the reopening of three-dimensional workspaces is making some employees worry that those old hierarchies might also spring back up alongside the office desk chairs and the espresso machine.
Consider this example: A client recently told me her excitement to meet her virtual colleagues in the flesh quickly turned into dismay when she returned to the office. A senior vice president (SVP) she had been working with for months completely ignored her as they shared an elevator.
