What will the post-pandemic work environment look like?

NEW YORK– Some experts are now weighing in with a few predictions, according to one new report.

While many companies have made a slew of modifications to their workspaces and buildings to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, as they prepare to bring workers back, even more changes are on the way, according to interviews conducted by the New York Times.

Expect expanded gathering spaces and fewer personal workstations, for instance, changes that are being fueled by the success of working from home, the analysis notes, pointing to companies such as Google, Microsoft and Walmart that have already announced proposals for hybrid work models that will allow employees to continue to work remotely at least a few days a week.

More than 80% of companies are embracing a hybrid model whereby employees will be in the office three days a week, according to a new survey by KayoCloud, a real estate technology platform, cited by the Times.

The Key Changes

Among the changes cited:

• Workplaces are being re-imagined for activities benefiting from face-to-face interaction, including collaboration on projects and employee training, as a way to promote a company’s culture and identity.
• Common areas will be increased and equipped with furniture that can be moved as needs change. Steelcase and Knoll, suppliers of office furniture, report strong interest in mobile tables, carts and partitions, the Times said.
• As the amount of space devoted to gathering expands, the fate of one’s own personal turf at the office — a desk decorated with family photos, a couple of file cabinets — hangs in the balance. “Why, company leaders are asking, should someone who is in the office one or two days a week require a space that will sit empty the rest of the time?” the Times reported.
• In some cases, personal desks are being replaced with “hoteling” workstations, also called hot desks, which can be used by whoever needs a place to touch down for a day. Workstations have become “hot desks” that can be used by anyone. Reserving them in advance is likely to become common.
• Some employees are permanently moving to remote work, and companies are puzzling over how to give them the same ability to participate as those who are physically present. “There are even early discussions about using artificial intelligence to conjure up holographic representations of employees who are off site but could still take a seat at the table,” the Times reported.
• Devices combining 360-degree cameras, microphones and speakers are being placed on a table or tripod to improve sound and visibility. In the future, these technologies are likely to be built into gathering places and the number of screens increased, transforming the conference room into a “Zoom room,” Krenek said.
• Some phone booths — the closet-size pods deployed in open-plan offices to give workers a place to make private calls — may give way to videoconferencing booths, which some manufacturers have introduced with built-in screens.
• Screens are destined to pop up elsewhere. One near the coffee bar or at a cafe table could allow those on the premises to meet virtually for a latte or lunch with colleagues working remotely.
• Digital whiteboards are likely to become more popular, so workers at home can see what’s being written in real time.
• Conference rooms are being transformed into “Zoom rooms” to accommodate remote workers. John Modifications made to offices to protect against the coronavirus are still in effect. Stopgap measures may fade away as the pandemic loosens its grip, but others will be here to stay.

Changes to Buildings

• Moving through an office building is likely to be a hands-free experience aided by mobile apps, sensors and voice controls, even after the reluctance to touch surfaces diminishes.
• Sensors will allow employees to enter a turnstile and summon an elevator with the wave of a hand. Landlords who have yet to invest in such systems have experimented with foot pedals to activate elevators. Buttons on walls outside restrooms can be pressed with an elbow, averting the need to touch door handles. Some companies are adding foot-operated door openers.
• Outdoor spaces — roofs, terraces and courtyards — were popular before the pandemic and have become more so as fresh air has gone from being a nicety to being a necessity. Landlords have in some cases adjusted HVAC systems to increase the amount of outdoor air being pumped in. They are also upgrading filters to trap smaller airborne particles.