The pandemic of Covid-19 has certainly changed the workplace environment and has affected how everyone does their jobs from one end of the globe to the other. We have had to adapt to different work styles and this has greatly affected the layout of offices. At the same time, many people have been working at home and have had to create their own office spaces. It’s expected that at least some of the aspects of the new normal work environments will remain in place even after the pandemic is over.
We will most likely see more people working from home than ever before, continued social distancing and the continuation of cleaner workspaces. It’s time to take a look at what the future may hold and what steps you can take to move forward in terms of office design.
Physical Distancing Workstations
Although workstations are currently kept far apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines, it’s likely that these stations won’t ever go back to the way they were before Covid-19 hit. There may be less social distancing but if there is one thing that the pandemic has taught us it’s that keeping your distance helps prevent a virus from passing as easily from person to person. This is likely to contribute to decisions regarding workstation placement even after the pandemic is over.
It’s time to address this issue now and see how your office space can work with it. Many companies have been downsizing and just don’t have as many employees as before so this won’t be a problem. In other cases, more employees are working from home and can continue to operate that way for the foreseeable future. There may be many companies, however, that need to look for larger quarters to keep more distance between desks and stations.
The Return of Traditional Desks
Due to social distancing guidelines, traditional desks are making a comeback. They naturally provide the distance between workers without having to work out how far apart employees are in the office. Hot desks have been virtually eliminated but they may return to a certain degree after the pandemic has ended. At the same time, however, we’re likely to see chairs being staggered apart more than they were before. Many companies may want to invest in larger hot desks to facilitate this added distance between workers.
Times are sure to be different in terms of trends for office design due to Covid-19 and the effect it has had on the workplace environment. Looking forward, it’s best for businesses to ensure that they have enough room to accommodate desks and workstations that are more spaced apart and that their hot desks can accommodate a number of people without having them sit too close together.
If you need help with post Covid-19 office designing, head over to our website at https://gwfurniture.ca/. Leave your details in the contact form and one of our representatives will get back to you shortly.