The changing size of office space during COVID
One thing that has become clear since COVID struck is that people can actually work from home. Businesses had to manage without their offices during the national lockdown and with the regional lockdowns continuing, many will have to do so for the foreseeable future.
The big question is whether people will ever go back to the office in the same way? Maybe the nine to five working model over for good, which will mean that businesses no longer require all the office space they have, will need to be more flexible and won’t want to sign up to long leases that tie them in to office space for a period of time.
Even before lockdown, some businesses had started to reduce the size of their office footprint, with more people hot desking and sharing workstations as remote working increased. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to accelerate this trend, as more people work from home on a permanent basis or reduce the number of days that they go into the office to work.
On the other hand, the immediate impact of COVID-19 is that some organisations need more space. For offices to reopen safely, social distancing needs to be maintained and so the amount of physical space required for each member of staff is increased. Combine this with the need for circulation areas to be bigger and some businesses might need more space in the sort term!
Flexibility is most definitely the key and this is where serviced offices make sense. Organisations can take a serviced office on a flexible lease, usually with only a 3-month notice period with smaller offices usually available on 1-month easy in, easy out terms. This gives companies the option to have an office that is the right size for them with the flexibility to move out when the future is less uncertain.
Business centres are often perceived as only providing small offices for start-ups or small businesses. This is not always the case and many offer larger office suites or self-contained offices.
Hexagon Business Centres in Witney has a number of large offices, some with their own entrance, kitchen and cloakroom facilities. These offices are the perfect solution for companies wanting flexibility during COVID. It gives them an office presence either with more space for social distancing or without unwanted space and yet, if they want to upsize post COVID, they are not tied into a long lease.
Talk to us about how our flexible lease terms can help your organisation during COVID-19. Call 01993 848770 or
