Deskpass members have been returning to workspaces after the reopening of our network and the announcement of our Safety Program - but is everyone ready to go back to the office?
To learn more about how people were feeling about the return to coworking, we surveyed 140 members across 12 different cities.
The results confirmed an interest in returning to coworking spaces soon, as long as workspaces had made significant changes to their physical space and daily operations.
Q: When would you feel comfortable returning to a coworking space?
- 52% answered prior to August 1
- 14% answered between August 1 and September 1
- 34% answered after September 1
Q: Which of these safety standards, if implemented by a coworking space, would provide you the comfort needed to go into that coworking space?
At least 50% of respondents indicated that providing all of the following would make them feel comfortable:
- 6 feet distance between workstations
- Hand sanitizer provided
- Cleaning and disinfecting common surfaces 2x per day
- Disposable wipes or disposable workstations covers provided
- A cleaning and disinfecting schedule posted on-site
- Mask required in common areas
- HVAC filters or fresh air circulation
- Dividers between workstations
- Lounge and fabric furniture disinfected daily
- Individual food and beverage (not shared)
Q: Once you choose to go back to coworking spaces, do you think you’ll visit them more, less, or with the same frequency as before the pandemic?
- 46% same frequency as before
- 43% less frequently than before
- 11% more frequently than before
Q: What concerns do you have about returning to coworking spaces?
The most frequently mentioned concerns were:
- Cleanliness - Is the space doing enough?
- Cleanliness - Are other people in the space doing their part?
- Information - How can I tell if a space is clean and safe? How will I know what is required of me? How will I know exactly what I can/can't or should/shouldn’t do while on-site?
- Transportation - Needing to take public transportation to get to a workspace is a risk
Q: What solutions do you have that would resolve your concerns about going to coworking spaces?
The most frequently mentioned solutions were:
- Consistent, frequent cleaning and disinfecting
- Safe distance between people working in the space
- Knowing in advance what is required and what they can expect
- The ability to rate/review spaces and provide feedback
- A space deciding to operate at a lower capacity to prevent crowding
- Allowing for later opening hours to spread out the number of people working within the space at one time, and to avoid rush hour traffic while commuting
Additional Suggestions
Although mentioned infrequently, our team found the following suggestions notable:
- Being given an assigned desk upon arrival to guarantee spacing
- Scheduling 30 minutes in-between meeting room reservations to air out the room and for management to clean and disinfect
- Asking spaces to post their revised floor plans online and indicate where outlets are so people can be confident there will be enough physical distance, and to prevent crowding around outlets
- Being contacted if a space they recently visited has a known COVID case
*This post is written by Deskpass co-founder and chief community officer, Nicole Vasquez.
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