At that point, they pivoted to work-from-home (WFH) models. At first, many assumed that these measures were simply temporary. A few weeks—maybe perhaps a month—and they’d be back in their offices, returned to normal.
We all know how that turned out.
Now, nearly a year into the pandemic, people are still deciding where and how to best do their work.
Decisions about Remote Workspace
One of the most frustrating aspects of this situation has been the sheer unpredictability. While we now understand that we’re all in this for the long haul, we’re still not certain exactly how long that haul will be.
The entire dynamic has employers and employees alike re-thinking what their primary workspace will look like moving forward.
“The pre-COVID idea—that you have to be in the office—has been shattered,” says Ron Porter, a Korn Ferry senior client partner and leader of the firm’s Center for Human Resources Expertise. That may prompt more organizations to design so-called “hybrid” work-models as ways to attract and keep their top talent along with potentially shrinking their real estate costs (fewer people working in offices means less office space needed). “The ability to have flexible schedules may be an advantage,” he says. (Korn Ferry)
The advantages of a flexible schedule and WFH model can include the following:
- More freedom
- Increased productivity
- Higher employee retention
- Reduced burnout
While it’s clear that there’s no going back to the past, there are still questions about what exactly things will look like in the future. The uncertainty is due at least in part to individual responses.
Temporary Workspaces Become Permanent
While some companies and organizations have been pushing for a speedy return to onsite work models as soon as it’s safe to do so post-pandemic, others are now considering making their WFH pivot permanent.
- Scaling down in-person meeting spaces and times in favor of a hybrid model
- Taking advantage of online tools to significantly decrease requirements for in-person work
- Abandoning office space entirely and allowing employees to work from home full-time
While some jobs cannot be done without an in-person component, others lend themselves to this shift.
Many have even welcomed it!
Tech companies were among the earliest to send employees home at the start of the pandemic, and a number of prominent players in the industry have since announced that many or all of their employees will be allowed to work remotely on a permanent basis. That has prompted many…to relocate to other parts of the country for cheaper housing, less traffic and a better quality of living. (The Wall Street Journal)
While there are definite advantages to the hybrid and WFH models, there are also some downsides. One major difficulty is finding comfortable and convenient workspaces in your own home.
If you find yourself part of the current workspace revolution, you may be looking for new tools that will help you work more productively moving forward. If that’s the case, YOURspace is here for you. They have 100% customizable office pods and collapsible pods that can fit in a home of any size. Now any space can be used for multiple purposes.
Choose YOURspace Office Pod and Partition Solutions
YOURspace office pod and partition solutions can help both organizations and the employee during this time of transition and beyond. YOURspace provides productive, efficient, ergonomic, and highly customizable office structures for both the home and the corporate facility.
Contact us to learn more about how our office pods can help you solve your office problems. We look forward to helping you have YOURspace YOURway.
