Business leaders have no choice but to reconsider how their workspaces are designed and operated as the economy begins to reopen. This means pivoting away from long-term leases and opting for more flexible arrangements, as well as seeking more square footage to accommodate physical distancing guidelines.

Bryan Murphy, CEO of flexible office firm Breather, believes that the transformation of office space will go beyond placing dividers between desks.

In the short-term, offices will be focused on keeping people distanced, installing dividers and hand sanitation stations. But in the long-term, operations are what will undergo major changes.

Many companies will likely cut down on their office footprint after experimenting with remote and flexible work policies, but a physical office will be necessary sometimes.

“With COVID, it’s going to drive the adoption of flexible office space because of the cost savings and flexibility it provides. Same benefit. We’re talking to hundreds of companies,” said Murphy. “They’re all realizing that with the availability of on-demand space, that’s what they need. They all realize they’ll need less office space, and will need it on flexible terms.”