As coworking spaces quickly becomes a common alternative to workspaces for professionals from all industries, it is vital that operators are both inclusive and set proper boundaries between occupants when working in close proximity with one another.
Due to the majority of people in these spaces coming from various companies, and not the coworking operator itself, it can be difficult to control the actions of these workers. Therefore, operators should understand the legal risks and implement appropriate policies to address such risks in order to create a safe working environment for all.
Many coworking spaces suffer from anonymity of occupants and readily available alcoholic beverages, which can lead to unwanted behavior such as theft, sexual harassment and more. With this, operators have a responsibility to protect their employees from users who partake in heinous actions.
In order to avoid this sort of behavior, establishing a clear set of ground rules in the coworking space can help alleviate risks. This could be in the form of terms and conditions that includes anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, unauthorized access and alcohol consumption policies.
Additionally, coworking agreements should make it evident that any violation of the workspace’s code of conduct will result in warnings, fines or termination with no refund of any payments.
