Offices after COVID: Wider hallways, fewer desks

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The coronavirus already changed the way we work. Now it’s changing the physical space, too.

The Associated PressMany companies are making adjustments to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to in-person work, like improving air circulation systems or moving desks further apart. Others are ditching desks and building more conference rooms to accommodate employees who still work remotely but come in for meetings.

Not every company is making changes, and Engels stresses that they don’t have to. She tells clients to remember what worked well — and what didn't — before the pandemic. Ajinomoto’s employees returned to in-person work in May to a building with wider hallways and glass panels between cubicles, to give them more space and try to make them feel more secure. To improve mental health, the company transformed a planned work area into a spa-like “relaxation room” with reclining chairs and soft music. A test kitchen is wired for virtual presentations in case clients don’t want to travel.

Steelcase has divided one of its lobbies into cozy meeting spaces of varying sizes, separated by plant-filled partitions. Mobile video monitors can be wheeled in so that people working remotely can be included in discussions. Some office changes reflect a new commitment to hybrid work. Valiant Technologies, which provides tech support and other services to businesses, is letting its employees work primarily at home but has them reserve a desk for the days they want to come to the office. The New York company has removed rows of desks and put more space between the remaining ones. Employees leave their keyboard, mouse and headsets in lockers.

 

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Offices after COVID: Wider hallways, fewer desksGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The coronavirus already changed the way we work. Now it’s changing the physical space, too. Many companies are making adjustments to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to in-person work, like improving air circulation systems or moving desks further apart. Steelcase, an office furniture company in Michigan, says its research indicates that half of global companies plan major office redesigns this year. The company divided one of its lobbies into cozy meeting rooms, built to accommodate mobile video screens.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »