Can Coworking Aid Business in Combating Coronavirus
With the number of confirmed cases for COVID-19 on the rise worldwide there are many businesses large and small that are looking for strategies that can be used to keep their business running while working remotely or outside of a traditional office space. In an effort to navigate this public health crisis many companies are changing the way that they are operating in their day-to-day. Even major tech companies like Apple are encouraging employees to work remotely to minimize gatherings.
How Coworking Has Been Affected
Operators of the co-working industry are managing nearly 35,000 coworking spaces worldwide which host 1.18 million employees. Not all remote workers have had access to the amenities that they need to work productively from home. A number of leading coworker operations have been opening their doors to large corporations to use specific resources but the overall consensus is closing these shared workspaces amid the health crisis. In order to reduce risk for staff and spreading the infection, most co-working spaces have been closed.
Initial efforts from co-working spaces have opened their doors to create a new rotation for coworkers. The idea is to physically separate members and introduce areas for people to work where 5 to 10 people will access a department in order to maintain proper separation. This type of unique backup office solution can ensure that employees will remain productive and carry out the work that is deemed highly necessary during this time. Operating in one of these coworking facilities can make sure that a business could proceed as usual with full access to resources and without a risk of a companywide contamination.
Co-working spaces are also working to improve their hygiene standards. All co-working spaces that are in current operations are disaffected early and maintained with the utmost in hygiene standards. Major coworking operations have stepped up their cleaning standards and they are working to maximize disinfectant procedures across the board.
If you’re going to be accessing a coworking space during the coronavirus epidemic, make sure that you are isolating yourself if you have any symptoms, regularly washing your hands and also isolating yourself if you have traveled for business recently.
As coworking spaces continue to evolve throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these spaces may remain some of the only functional offices that are available for essential employees to work from during this time.
This post was written by Tara Kintz. Tara is a director at Signature Workspace which is a Tampa office space. Signature Workspace, owned and operated by Cantor Fund Management, offers services and amenities such as private offices, flex space, co-working space, virtual offices, meeting/conference rooms, and more.
