5 Ideas For Your Post-Quarantine Collaborative Space
As vaccination numbers continue to rise, many business leaders and office managers are planning their return to the office after more than a year of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re in this group but you’re unsure of the appropriate office setup for a post-COVID-19 world, you’re in luck. We’ve put together this list of five shared office equipment ideas for collaboration after COVID-19.
1. Two-Person Desks
What better way to encourage coworkers to collaborate after COVID-19 than with shared office equipment? Two-person desks are sizable workstations that naturally boost collaboration because coworkers are seated side-by-side or across from each other.
For instance, this two-person workstation is designed so that employees are facing each other throughout their workday. The fixture in the center can easily accommodate a barrier or sneeze guard to keep germs from spreading.
2. Benching Workstations
Open office concepts can still work after COVID-19 with the right layout and furniture. Benching workstations, such as this four-person cubicle setup, are a great option for open floor plans because they provide a clear division between personal workspaces. At the same time, they also put coworkers in close proximity with one another so that it’s easy to lean over and ask a question or chat about ongoing projects.
3. Conference Tables
Other must-have pieces of shared office equipment for your collaborative space are conference tables. We recommend a mixture of traditional styles like this four-person conference table and more modern options such as this technology-enabled conference table. The reason for this is that while there’s still value in face-to-face brainstorming sessions and conversations, you’ll also want your space to be conducive to collaborating with remote workers through video calls.
4. Collaborative Workstations
If you’re working with an open office plan after COVID-19, you’re probably wondering what kind of collaborative workstations are the most appropriate. The answer? Whatever you want! There is a range of customizable products on our site, like this three-person workstation or this four-person shared desk station.
While you can’t go wrong with customizing, there are many amazing pre-built collaborative workstations available as well. These pieces are often designed to be used in common areas, but they can work as personal desks for your employees as well.
5. Sneeze Guards and Barriers
The safety of your workforce should be a top priority when designing your office setup for the post-COVID-19 world. Sneeze guards and barriers are becoming more common in office plans because they protect workers from exposure to airborne respiratory droplets, which are dispensed when coughing, sneezing, or even talking.
Our furniture directory includes a variety of options for sneeze guards, including convenient clamp-on and portable options. Whatever form your collaborative spaces take, it’s a good idea to invest in sneeze guards or barriers for the comfort and well-being of your employees. We hope that these ideas are helpful in planning your office setup after quarantine.
