Millions of people will have to find their way back to the office after months of working from home. Now is the time for organizations to dial in the health measures to ensure a smooth return to work.
As a result, shared offices spaces provide an appealing solution for both large corporations and small and medium-sized businesses. It is also a cost-cutting measure from an organizational standpoint, as individual office space is eliminated.
Now, shared spaces must support the physical distancing and cleaning protocols required to create a safer work environment. These spaces that employees enjoy the most must be adapted or created to increase productivity and ensure that the people who use them are safe and feel safe.
Here’s how shared office spaces are being revamped in response to COVID-19.
SHARED OFFICE DURING THE PANDEMIC
The COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly be devastating for most businesses, including those that provide flexible and shared office space. Like many other industries, coworking spaces are unlikely to see an increase in clientele in the near future.
However, the pandemic would be nothing more than a blip in the coworking movement’s rapid growth and popularity. It won’t be long before coworking spaces are inundated with new inquiries from small business owners and startups eager to join the coworking revolution.
The concept of shared office space, like most aspects of work during the COVID-19 crisis, has changed. New and improved rules of conduct, unique routing for each office, adapted workstations, and optimized shared facilities are all part of the concept.
According to a recent HubbleHQ survey, increased hygiene measures are critical for employees to feel comfortable in these spaces again. As a result, the most popular measure among respondents was for most shared office centres to implement detailed cleaning protocols with daily antiviral spraying.
It’s a no-brainer to use technology to upgrade your workspace: think automatic doors, hands-free check-ins, and smart lighting. Porous materials and non-cleanable textiles are replaced with smooth, waterproof surfaces and disinfectant-resistant fabrics. The goal remains to create warm and inspiring workplaces where performance and hygiene & sanitation must now be a priority.
Compulsory hand washing has become the new norm. Masks and hand sanitizers are widely available. Plexiglass shields between desks will be the new standard.
Cleaning used to be something that happened in the background, mostly when no one was in the room. Today, visible cleaning is required to make employees feel at ease in a shared space.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The flex space market was thriving prior to the pandemic. Before the coronavirus, the market share of office flex space layouts was estimated to be 25%, and industry experts expect it to return to that level.
With social distancing and remote work at the forefront of current approaches to safer work, shared spaces have become less social while also more accommodating. Instead of inter-employee interaction, facilities are better utilized. The ability of these spaces to respond to demand will ensure flex spaces’ continued success in the post-pandemic workplace.
Nuage B is a shared office solution for businesses with distributed or remote teams. On-demand desks, meeting rooms, and private offices are available by the hour, day, week, and month. Boost your productivity at work by contacting us now! We want you to return to coworking spaces where you can be productive while also feeling safe.
