CONNECT
Issue 16
A bridge from “now” to the “next” phase of hybrid and shared workspaces Julia Jensen , Ergonomics Specialist at University of California San Diego (UCSD) , explains how organizations can systematically shift from home offices to hybrid and shared workspaces.
To create a bridge from where employees work now (many from home-based workspaces) to the next phase of work (hybrid or shared workspaces), organizations need to make choices and create a path into new workspace territories. The shift in city and state guidance on masking and social distancing is leading to an adjustment in the workplace from telework back to the office. Navigating this shift may be challenging. The encouragement for employers embarking on this journey is to look at where they are now, perhaps with many in their workforce currently working from home and develop a plan that is both solid and flexible. Aiming for where they want to go next to accommodate the newest shift to hybrid or shared workspaces. A willingness to adapt and change along the way to create a workplace that’s healthy, safe and successful is key. Trends for the new normal Regardless of where employees work, the overall landscape of the workplace has changed.
The altered workplace landscape shift from traditional on-site work to home and shared offices is occurring within companies and educational institutions around the world. This change is confirmed by the Work Trend Index Survey stated in the Microsoft 2021 Report , “Hybrid work is inevitable. Business leaders are on the brink of major changes to accommodate what employees want: the best of both worlds. 73% of employees surveyed expressed a desire for flexible remote work options post-pandemic, and 66% of businesses said they were considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments.” Terms for the new normal Not only is the workplace changing, but even our workplace verbiage has changed. In the past, the term remote was used frequently. It usually meant performing job duties from an off-site location, perhaps a home, coffee shop, or other location. Hybrid is the new term used fluently now and describes where work time is split between working remotely and working on-site.
There’s an even newer term that’s gained popularity - shared workspaces and hoteling. These terms refer to workstations used by multiple people and in the case of hoteling include workers checking into an open workspace, often including a formal check-in system or schedule. Start with a three-part framework To help organizations skillfully navigate the shift from home-based offices to hybrid and shared workspaces, consider constructing a framework that includes three parts or pillars. Starting to build a framework consisting of three solid pillars helps to construct a strong base and framework on which to successfully build a bridge to the workspaces of tomorrow. The University of California’s Ergonomists constructed a workable plan for hybrid and shared workspaces by creating a framework that consists of the following three key pillars: Ergonomic Design Guidelines, Best Practice Guidelines, and Resources. They were designed to help both the University and its employees successfully transition to hybrid, shared, and hoteling workspaces.
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