The coworking industry has experienced a turbulent few months to say the least. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run rampant in some parts of the world, many operators have been forced to close their doors for the time being.

Despite these uncertainties, there is potential opportunity arising for the industry, but major changes will need to be made to these shared workspaces first.

First, coworking operators will need to keep their spaces as clean and hygienic as possible. Implementing increased sanitation practices, particularly in an office where many amenities are consistently shared, will be essential moving forward. This can be accomplished by installing sanitation stations around the office, as well as cleaning high-touch areas such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, desks and more.

Additionally, coworking operators should promote personal hygiene standards for their members. Things like handwashing, promoting physical distancing and one-way foot traffic, providing hand sanitizer, face masks and temperature screenings are a few easy ways to ensure that everyone in the space stays safe.

Coworking design will also need to be altered. Instead of large shared workstations, desks will need to be spread out and the number of people in shared open spaces will need to be limited. Additionally, coworking providers should consider adding more private offices or installing barriers for each desk.