Some Companies Aim to Redesign Offices After COVID-19
2021-06-30
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1Many companies are making changes to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to work after more than one year of coronavirus restrictions.
2Some are improving office air systems or are moving desks farther apart.
3Others are removing desks and building more conference rooms for employees who work at home but come in to the office for meetings.
4Steelcase is an office furniture company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
5It says research shows half of companies around the world plan to redesign their office space this year.
6Natalie Engels works as a designer at the architecture business Gensler.
7She said the past year has made people think, "...Why do we go to an office?"
8Not every company is making changes and Engels noted that they do not have to.
9She tells her customers to remember what worked well and what did not before the coronavirus health crisis.
10But designers say many companies want to make employees feel safe and energized at the office.
11This is especially the case as some businesses report a labor shortage.
12The food and drug company Ajinomoto redesigned its North American headquarters near Chicago last year based on those concerns.
13Ajinomoto's employees returned to work in May.
14The building had wider walking spaces and glass divisions between workspaces.
15This was to give workers more room and to make them feel more secure.
16To improve mental health, the company added a "relaxation room."
17A test kitchen was set up for online presentations.
18In addition to that, a cleaning crew disinfects the offices two times a day.
19Ryan Smith is the executive vice president of Ajinomoto North America.
20He admits the efforts might be too much, but it could help those who have concerns about returning to work in the office.
21Smith estimates 40 percent of the new headquarters design was changed.
22Shobha Surya, an employee at Ajinomoto, is energized by the space.
23She said, "The office gives you a balance of work and home life."
24She said it was easier to keep her attention at the office now and she is happy to be working with her co-workers again.
25Lise Newman is with the architecture business SmithGroup.
26She said when employees are asked what they miss most about office work, they say socializing and working with colleagues.
27Companies are trying to build relationships between employees by having more social areas. Some have areas that look like a coffee shop.
28Newman said, "Companies are trying to create that sense that this is a cool club that people want to come into."
29Mark Bryan is a designer at M+A Architects, based in Columbus, Ohio.
30He expects that, in the future, an office will have different places to work in on any given day.
31Some workers might choose a small, private room.
32And others might choose a table in the office eating area.
33Some office changes show the new mixture of working from home and at the office.
34Based in New York, Valiant Technologies provides technical support and other services to businesses.
35It is letting its employees work mostly from home.
36Employees request a desk if they want to come into the office.
37The company has removed desks and has put more spaces between the remaining ones.
38Employees leave equipment in safe storage areas.
39Not every design change will stay. Steelcase brought back some employees last summer.
40They pushed tables in the cafeteria far apart from each other and only permitted one person to sit at a table.
41Steelcase's chief Jim Keane said it made the space so sad that no one wanted to sit there.
42He said he learned that workspaces need to be safe but they also need to be inspiring.
43He said, "People are actually going to expect more from offices in the future."
44I'm Gregory Stachel.
1Many companies are making changes to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to work after more than one year of coronavirus restrictions. 2Some are improving office air systems or are moving desks farther apart. Others are removing desks and building more conference rooms for employees who work at home but come in to the office for meetings. 3Steelcase is an office furniture company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It says research shows half of companies around the world plan to redesign their office space this year. 4Natalie Engels works as a designer at the architecture business Gensler. She said the past year has made people think, "...Why do we go to an office?" 5Not every company is making changes and Engels noted that they do not have to. She tells her customers to remember what worked well and what did not before the coronavirus health crisis. 6But designers say many companies want to make employees feel safe and energized at the office. This is especially the case as some businesses report a labor shortage. 7The food and drug company Ajinomoto redesigned its North American headquarters near Chicago last year based on those concerns. 8Ajinomoto's employees returned to work in May. The building had wider walking spaces and glass divisions between workspaces. This was to give workers more room and to make them feel more secure. 9To improve mental health, the company added a "relaxation room." A test kitchen was set up for online presentations. In addition to that, a cleaning crew disinfects the offices two times a day. 10Ryan Smith is the executive vice president of Ajinomoto North America. He admits the efforts might be too much, but it could help those who have concerns about returning to work in the office. Smith estimates 40 percent of the new headquarters design was changed. 11Shobha Surya, an employee at Ajinomoto, is energized by the space. 12She said, "The office gives you a balance of work and home life." She said it was easier to keep her attention at the office now and she is happy to be working with her co-workers again. 13Lise Newman is with the architecture business SmithGroup. She said when employees are asked what they miss most about office work, they say socializing and working with colleagues. 14Companies are trying to build relationships between employees by having more social areas. Some have areas that look like a coffee shop. 15Newman said, "Companies are trying to create that sense that this is a cool club that people want to come into." 16Mark Bryan is a designer at M+A Architects, based in Columbus, Ohio. He expects that, in the future, an office will have different places to work in on any given day. Some workers might choose a small, private room. And others might choose a table in the office eating area. 17Some office changes show the new mixture of working from home and at the office. 18Based in New York, Valiant Technologies provides technical support and other services to businesses. It is letting its employees work mostly from home. Employees request a desk if they want to come into the office. 19The company has removed desks and has put more spaces between the remaining ones. Employees leave equipment in safe storage areas. 20Not every design change will stay. Steelcase brought back some employees last summer. They pushed tables in the cafeteria far apart from each other and only permitted one person to sit at a table. Steelcase's chief Jim Keane said it made the space so sad that no one wanted to sit there. 21He said he learned that workspaces need to be safe but they also need to be inspiring. He said, "People are actually going to expect more from offices in the future." 22I'm Gregory Stachel. 23Dee-Ann Durbin reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 24____________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26desk - n. a piece of furniture that is like a table and often has drawers 27furniture - n. chairs, tables, or beds that are used to make a room ready for use 28architecture - n. the art or science of designing and creating building 29relaxation - n. a way to rest and enjoy yourself 30customer -n. someone who buys goods or services from a business 31club - n. the place where the members of a club meet 32colleague -n. a person who works with you; fellow worker 33cafeteria - n. a place (such as a restaurant or a room in a school) where people get food at a counter and carry it to a table for eating 34inspire - v. to make (someone) want to do something: to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create