Back in place: Flexibility a key commodity as offices re-open

“Tomorrow’s office will look nothing like the office of today.”

That notion — that the American workplace will be forever altered after

COVID-19 — seems to be a widely held assumption these days. But don’t count on a complete, long-term revamp of your office just yet.

Jonathan Wasserstrum, CEO and co-founder of SquareFoot, a commercial real estate firm in New York, says companies are taking a cautious approach to permanently redefining their

workspaces. While some employers are considering renovating existing office space, Wasserstrum says most are looking to address work-related issues due to the current pandemic rather than focus on a complete overhaul of their facilities.

“We have seen an increased desire for flexibility. Companies are looking for shorter-term leases, which was already a trend we were starting to see, and now that’s snowballed in the last couple of months,” Wasserstrum says. “We’re in more uncertain times and in times of uncertainty, flexibility is even more at a premium. Plans are changing, the number of remote workers is changing —

no one is making long-term plans.”

Workplace changes

While the recent increase in COVID-19 variants and low vaccination rates may delay returns to the workplace in some

parts of the country, Wasserstrum says that’s not stopping businesses from making sure their offices are ready for

those workers who’ve been given the green light.

Still, as workers return to the office, they are seeing some significant changes. “The common areas — those spaces with a couch and some tables — they’ve been removed or off limits,” says Wasserstrum. “If you’re the only person sitting at your desk, it’s one thing to clean it and sanitize it. If you’re sitting on a couch, how are offices going to clean that space every time you get up? How can they ensure that someone’s always going to be there to give it a thorough cleaning before the next person sits down?”

It’s impossible, says Heidi Vanek, a 31-year-old grant writer from Arlington, Texas. Vanek, who has been using shared workspaces like WeWork and Industrious Office for the past few years, says she used to love stretching out on the pillows and sofas at her previous workspace but knows those days are gone for now — if not for good. “Those are the things you don’t think about — who was sitting there before you, whether or not they wiped their hands on the cushion after rubbing their nose — but now, I’d think about it all the time,” says Vanek. “A shared space is one thing, especially if you have a

dedicated desk, but I’m not sure how the concept of communal areas plays out.”