- Deskpass announced a new safety program designed to protect the health of members as it begins to reopen its curated network of shared workspaces and conference rooms for booking.
- Deskpass is also working with coworking space owners to develop new features and policies to ensure the health and safety of remote workers.
- The voluntary COVID-19 Safety Pledge Program includes two tiers of requirements for coworking spaces.
CHICAGO (June, 2020) — Deskpass, the innovative leader in coworking access, announced today a new safety program designed to protect the health of members as it begins to reopen its curated network of shared workspaces and conference rooms for booking. As cities and states begin to loosen coronavirus pandemic restrictions, 228 spaces across the network are now available for a safe return to remote work, and five cities are fully open — including Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale — with more opening in the coming weeks.
“In order to do our part to halt the spread of the coronavirus, we took steps to protect members, including proactively pausing reservations and launching the Deskpass Online Community to give members a place to connect and share resources and ideas,” said Deskpass cofounder and Chief Community Officer Nicole Vasquez. “We also began hosting virtual events to help keep members engaged, motivated and productive while working from home.”
In addition, Deskpass immediately began working with owners of coworking spaces in its network to develop new features and policies to ensure the health and safety of remote workers once local shelter-in-place orders were lifted.
“As cities begin to reopen, Deskpass is also reopening our network as soon as it becomes possible to do so safely,” Vasquez said. “Our Safety Pledge Program is a visible indication of our commitment to the health and well-being of our members, which we developed based on advice from leading health organizations, workspace industry experts and global real estate companies.”
The voluntary COVID-19 Safety Pledge Program includes two tiers of requirements for coworking spaces. To qualify for Tier 1, spaces must require all employees and visitors to wear face masks; post signage to allow members to navigate amenities safely; maintain six feet of distance between workstations; provide safe food and beverage service, touchless dispensers and dishwashing machines; provide hand sanitizer for staff and members; and twice-a-day cleaning and disinfecting of all common surfaces. In addition, a clear plan must be in place for handling emergencies such as COVID-19 outbreaks, staff shortages and loss of health and safety services.
Tier 2 recommendations also include posting a cleaning and disinfecting schedule on site; changing HVAC filters more frequently and allowing fresh air to circulate when possible; daily disinfection of all soft furniture; offering COVID-19 preparedness training to staff and members; providing disposable workspace covers or disinfecting wipes at each workstation; and installing dividers or shields between workstations to limit air flow.
Coworking spaces that meet Tier 1 requirements are awarded a Safe Space badge on the Deskpass app to alert members to their health and safety commitment, and their safety precautions will be listed on the space’s profile page. Further information about the COVID-19 Safety Pledge may be found at deskpass.com/covid-safety-pledge.
Convenient Coworking Options in 20 Cities
Deskpass is a monthly subscription service that gives remote workers and freelancers a convenient and affordable way to check out a curated selection of shared workspaces and conference rooms. Monthly Deskpass membership includes access to its entire network of more than 500 coworking locations and hundreds of hourly workspaces in 20 cities nationwide. The website and mobile app allow members to filter locations by proximity, amenities, parking options and more.
“Deskpass’ network is particularly well suited for remote work post-COVID, because participating spaces are more geographically diverse and tend to be closer to members’ homes, rather than concentrated in the central business district,” Vasquez noted.
Using its website or mobile app, new subscribers can sign up for a free trial of Deskpass’s “mini” plan and work at up to four locations per month. After the trial, the plan is $49 a month, which represents a significant savings over the day rate at most spaces. For those who work remotely more often, the part-time plan includes up to eight visits a month for $99, and full-time members can use the service 20 times in a month — or every day Monday through Friday — for $199. Part-time and full-time members may visit each coworking space up to five times a month, and unused days roll over to the next month. Annual plans are also available.
In addition to coworking options, Deskpass offers the ability to book hundreds of conference rooms, private offices, training centers and additional meeting spaces by the hour at a discounted rate. The service takes the legwork out of searching for a conference room in an unfamiliar city, and makes the reservation process fast and easy.
“As more cities relax pandemic stay-at-home orders and work restrictions, Deskpass will continue to reactivate our network,” Vasquez said. “After months of disruption due to the coronavirus, we are excited to play a part in helping our members start to return to normalcy in their work lives.”
Announcements of newly opened cities will be made on the company’s blog at blog.deskpass.com.
About Deskpass
Founded in 2015, Deskpass is a monthly membership service that offers affordable as-needed access to an ever-growing network of professionally managed coworking spaces and conference rooms to work, learn and meet in. Headquartered in Chicago, Deskpass is now available at hundreds of locations in 20 cities throughout the United States, with more coming soon. Information on locations and plans is available at deskpass.com.
