Working from home… not quite working

FOR REOPENED OFFICES, WIFI - SAFETY

It’s incredible to think, as we head into the last month of the year, about the amount of energy put into our healthcare, education and pharmaceutical systems. All working diligently to keep us safe, to support our children, and to find a cure. Fatigue is something we’ve all become familiar with these last few months. Businesses and their employees are no exception.

For many companies, a reopened office and some measure of normalcy is vital to not only sell products and services but produce them altogether. A toymaker in Boca Raton, Fla., for instance – as profiled in the New York Times – has brought back employees with new safety measures because what they design and build requires the kind of collaboration you just can’t generate in weekly Zoom calls.

One of our clients recently shared that it may buck the trend of offloading office space to upsize their footprint so that people could have more space to safely work in. They are currently exploring a growth plan for the next 5 years which will see a footprint increase of nearly 200%. Talk about reversing the compression strategy most companies had a year ago.

Still others are thinking about how to initiate a return to work policy and what will be needed to help employees make better use of the office space when they choose to use one in a flexible work model. Safety first, yes, but bottom line is a major factor particularly when revenues this year have been significantly impacted. Items topping the list for our clients are:

Safety & Compliance - measuring and monitoring occupancy and density to ensure health and safety protocols are being met.
Contact Tracing - as government tracing programs start-and-stop, business leaders need to maintain continuity and manage outbreaks to avoid shutting their doors.
Office as a Service - future-forward, clients are looking for data-driven services that enable employees to find and book resources, make better informed decisions for their own personal needs, and communicate activity and services in the building to improve productivity.

These data-driven solutions can all use existing WiFi networks. How does this tech work? What are specific considerations any business can take about their indoor spaces? See our new 5-step guide to returning to work safely.

THE GREAT BALANCING ACT FOR BUSINESSES TODAY

As governments flip flop on how to address COVID-19’s protracted and sweeping impact on the economy, it’s clear that businesses require far greater urgency in order to survive. With livelihoods on the line, decisions are being made regardless of ongoing uncertainty around when and how to reopen offices.

And in many areas they are left to fend for themselves. A Nov. 25th NYT headline reads: “As Cases Overwhelm the U.S., Some Health Officials Give Up on Contact Tracing.”

For businesses, the balancing act straddles employee safety and operating efficiency. Business leaders must analyze their indoor spaces and decode what they must be now and in the future. The importance of indoor location data has risen, as it lays the foundation for social distancing, contact tracing, and a shift to more personalized, flexible office layouts.

In our latest blog we map out how such a confident return to work will ultimately be measured in inches… and analytics.

MORE ON WORK-FROM-HOME NOT QUITE WORKING...

Whether or not employees are headed back to the office, the shine has worn off on working from home. Companies are addressing this challenge with innovative solutions likely to last long after the pandemic recedes.

Take Mariott’s new “work anywhere” initiative, which has tapped into workers’ quest for more work/life boundaries by offering new day pass packages that transform hotel rooms into personal office spaces. With enhanced WiFi, food and drinks, and the use of on-site business facilities, it’s a clever pivot for the chain to make use of unused space amidst a holiday season that’s short on cheer for the industry.

Once-collaborative workspace models are also busy offering new alternatives to home-based workers. WeWork’s new monthly membership and Breather’s new Passport service gives access to quiet, private spaces away from distractions.

Meanwhile, Big Tech is leaning into valuable office space that other industries are vacating. Despite the emptying out of Manhattan earlier this year, Big Tech is increasing its pace of office acquisition. Facebook, for example, recently leased enough space in the borough to nearly triple its current workforce. It’s wagering that employees will want to return to physical spaces that promote spontaneity and collaboration – a familiar tune being sung by many.

NEW IN SMART TECH

Impressive achievements continue in the world of Smart Tech. In Canada, Deloitte dropped its Technology Fast 50 list of the country’s fastest-growing innovators. Leading the way: Intellijoint Surgical, whose tech promises “Smart navigation” for surgeons performing knee and hip replacements.

Innovative private business is transforming many U.S. cities, leading to a new list of the eight fledgling “smart cities to watch” across the nation. The basket ranges from Houston to Reno, Nev. to Coral Gables, Fla.

In Ottawa we find a new Smart farm aiming to disrupt the agri-tech landscape. Using AI and data analysis, researchers want to help farmers leverage intel on weather, pests and soil conditions to boost their yield and cut water and fertilizer use.

And with holidays approaching there’s a few stocking stuffers in this PC Mag’s rating of the best Smart home devices for 2020.

Bonus: here’s an interesting piece from BBC, which asked dozens of experts – from Melinda Gates to the CEOs of Slack and Zoom to an Oxford professor of psychology – how they envision the pandemic changing how we work.

IN OUR SPACE ...

Interested in a pilot with InnerSpace? We’re running a 25% off promotion from now until December 31! Emailcerys@innerspace.io to find out more.
We were recently featured in Your Workplace’s look at how technology can help in the post-COVID workplace.
Our latest blog post examines why business must now lead when it comes to indoor safety.

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience." - Author, Pam Brown

… And here is a tail of two perspectives on the return-to-work debate: