The need for offices will continue as American businesses reconfigure their post-pandemic priorities – but to bring workers back, occupiers will need to reimagine both productivity and health and safety.

In a new analysis, Moody's Analytics' Jeffrey Havsy says policies to support healthier workplaces are a "necessary first step" to luring employees back to physical workspaces. What else is required?

"A combination of an attractive, optimized office environment and enhanced productivity from in-person interactions for certain office tasks," Havsy writes. "Owners and tenants directly benefit as well. Property owners may reap the most value for their buildings while tenants support their workforce to achieve those productivity gains."