The Importance of Coworking & Business Centers in Abu Dhabi
By JBrashear
The days of in-office interaction and water cooler talks seem long gone. The pandemic has caused businesses to shift to remote working as quickly as possible, and this sudden change has negatively impacted employees in terms of productivity and health. Our article “How the Pandemic May Change ‘Work-Life Balance’ Forever” shows how even those employees who seemed to have the best work-life balance before the pandemic now have a hard time adapting to remote working. Companies are trying to support their workers by offering flexible schedules, paid-time off policies, and even mental health services.
The Challenge Of Working From Home
However, no matter how good the support is, BBC explains how some people really cannot work well at home. How you are at home is different from your attitude at work, and the lack of boundaries in the comfort of your own home makes it harder to adopt the attitude you have in the workplace. Without superiors and coworkers checking on your work, it’s easier to procrastinate. There are too many distractions, homes aren’t easily made conducive to working, and the isolation weighs down on workers. Forbes notes that many workers are finding it difficult to shut off in the evenings and a lot have had to take a mental health day due to the stress of remote working.
Why Coworking Spaces Are The Solution
If you’re thinking of more ways to support your employees, consider looking for coworking spaces. These are basically shared workspaces that function like a smaller and more affordable office. They have office-like amenities, such as private meeting rooms and kitchens.
This might seem contradictory to the point of working from home because of the pandemic. But as long as safety and health measures are still observed, coworking spaces can be beneficial to an employee’s physical and mental wellbeing. Most coworking spaces invest in ergonomic accessories such as office chairs, keyboards, and monitor stands. Pain Free Working's highlights how ergonomic accessories can reduce stress, pressure, and tension in several parts of our bodies. While being in an office-like workspace lets people exercise by walking to the kitchen and such, there are ergonomic accessories that can even let people exercise while working.
Being in coworking spaces fosters socialization, so there is a sense of camaraderie that can be a source of support. Depending on who needs to use the coworking space, there might not be supervisors or task leaders who will constantly physically check up on the employees, so there is a relaxed atmosphere. But they won’t find the need to procrastinate as they will be surrounded by people who also need to do their work.
Coworking spaces benefit both the employee and the employer. With the expectation of remote work, employers can give struggling employees the option of working in a space similar to the office. This simple change of location solidifies a worker’s personal and work boundaries again and can drastically improve their productivity.
Choosing The Ideal Space
Medium’s guide to choosing a coworking space suggests checking the amenities yourself, so you know firsthand where you’ll be entrusting your employees. Check if the facilities are comfortable, and what the amenities are. You might want to especially check how their meeting rooms are, since this where you would likely talk with prospective clients.
When the lockdown ends, businesses will struggle to regain their footing. But companies who share the same coworking space may have an advantage, since their community hub can help one another rise again.
