The Kiln in Worcester "busier than ever" as people grow tired of working from home
Bookings have been at an all time high since they re-opened in March
A co-workspace in Worcester says they've been "busier than ever" as people grow tired of working from home.
The Kiln offers 10 office spaces with the capacity to hold 80 desks for people who want to work alone or with their colleagues.
During the pandemic the Government advice has been to work from home but it seems some people are now getting bored of their kitchen table and are eager to get back to an office.
Alex Brookes, manager of The Kiln, said:
"I've had a really busy coupe of weeks because I think people are seeing that it's looking pretty good and people are really keen to get back out.
"Obviously most people have been working from home and they're pretty sick of working from their kitchen table, from the sofa in their lounge or the desk in the back of their garage.
"So people are keen to get out into a new workspace and we are now seeing quite a big influx of people coming in to use the space here".
Many companies have decided to keep offices closed as working from home is still a viable option without affecting productivity.
But this has left many employees stuck working from home which may not be to their personal preference.
Alex continues:
"Some employers are funding days for their workers to come in and use the co-working space.
"They understand the need for people to get out and being around other people. Not only is it good for productivity but also for people's mental health.
"That was a huge reason for our members wanting us to reopen. People knew that working from home and lockdown was affecting their mental health but knew coming back and working here would make a huge difference.
The Kiln faced a dilemma after there was no specific Government guidance which told they they had to close during the lockdowns - despite the overall advice for people to stay - and work - from home.
Alex added:
"We don't really fit under any umbrella like the hospitality or beauty sector and we fit right in the middle where we aren't hospitality but we're also not deemed a necessity.
"We sought advice from Worcester City Council who believed we should close but there was no point where we were told we had to close.
"However morally we took the decision to do so because if the Government are telling people to stay at home, by being open we're encouraging people to not follow those rules".
How safe are co-workspaces?
One of the reasons for the Government to tell people to work at home if they could was to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Transmission rates have drastically fallen following the third lockdown but some people may be worried about being in an office space.
Alex said:
"We've had to follow Government guidance and completed risk assessments to make sure we could operate safely.
"The first thing we did was put posters out and social distancing measure sin place. We separated desks so people weren;t facing each other and were two metres apart.
"There's also hand sanitisers and wipes everywhere, posters everywhere telling people what to do. Everyone also has to wear a mask when they're walking around the building but can take them off when they're sitting down.
Could co-workspaces be the next big thing?
Out working habits have changed drastically over the past 13 months or so with many businesses realising they and their employees can still operate from home.
But are we about to see yet another shift in behaviour with people desperate to get back to some sort of commute and office environment?
It seems to be the case which means we could see more co-workspaces popping up in smaller towns and cities.
Alex said:
"This sort of space was always going to be needed however I think things have been pushed on a bit quicker.
"There's going to be a lot more people needing spaces like this so we do predict we'll get a lot busier.
"I think we're going to start seeing more pop up and I speak to other co-workspaces in other cities who say the same so I think it's going to become more common place".