Daily Digest News – July 31, 2020

Published on July 31, 2020 - By Aayat Ali

Hand selected flexible workspace news from the most reliable sources to keep you ahead of the pack. We find all the latest news, so you don’t have to. Morning and afternoon updates. Stay in the know.

Here’s what you need to know today:

• Adapting To The Digitization Of The Workplace
• WeWork Seeks Lawsuit Dismissal
• Pro-working Spaces Are The Future Of The Workplace

Adapting To The Digitization Of The Workplace

The ongoing pandemic has caused a significant slow-down in global economic growth and organizations have been impacted by two major factors: changes in consumer behavior and the disruption of the workplace.

The way in which we work has done a complete 180 as companies transition to more remote working arrangements to keep employees safe. The wide adoption of new technologies such as video conferencing tools and other collaboration resources has taken the place of in-person meetings and brainstorming sessions. 

As companies face no other option but to embrace these technologies, it is clear that the global workforce is undergoing one of the biggest digital transformations to date.

Prior to the pandemic, experts anticipated a more agile, technology-equipped workplace, but the rate in which it happened was a surprise to all. Now, companies are utilizing these tools to focus on automation, digitization and risk mitigation.

Although many businesses seamlessly transitioned to a remote workforce, pre-pandemic research from Forrester indicates that many employees do not feel skilled to work alongside technology. That is why it is vital for companies to take the time to upskill their workers to improve efficiency and productivity.

Overall, integrating the proper technology and ensuring that employees are up-to-date on the latest tools creates a work environment that is engaged and efficient, even when remote.

WeWork Seeks Lawsuit Dismissal

The We Company has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit brought by two board members who are suing SoftBank for backing out of its $3 billion tender offer as part of a bailout package for the New York-based company.

According to the We Company’s board members Alex Dimitrief and Frederick Arnold, the special committee does not have the authority to move forward with the lawsuit in the name of the company.

“An entirely independent committee of directors who have no affiliation with SoftBank conducted a thorough review and concluded that the members of the special committee never had the authority and should not have authority to act for WeWork,” said a SoftBank spokesperson. “WeWork investors have benefited immensely from SoftBank’s investment.”

This news comes on the heels of multiple other lawsuits the We Company and SoftBank are facing, including one from former co-founder CEO Adam Neumann, who sued the Japanese conglomerate for walking back on the tender offer in April as well.

Pro-working Spaces Are The Future Of The Workplace

The workforce is currently at a crossroads as organizations consider whether it is worth bringing employees back into the office or to continue operating remotely.

While many analysts have written off in-person work environments for the foreseeable future, it is abundantly clear that humans miss social connections.

So how does an organization continue to reap the benefits of both remote working policies and face-to-face interactions? 

Offering a hybrid of both work arrangements could be the solution. This allows employees to have access to office amenities when necessary, while working from home when they need to.

One of the main differences to emerge from this will be how the office is designed. Prior to the pandemic, workspaces were being filled to the brim with shared amenities like snack bars, yoga classes and more. From now on, we’ll see “pro-working spaces” that offer the workplace necessities that emphasize productivity and security.

“You don’t need to buy a printer or scanner, you don’t need to worry about your daily Starbucks [they have awesome cold brew on tap], you can have happy hour meetings with a great view [they have beer on tap as well], and you don’t have to be tied down to a long-term lease,” said Nicholas Troxel, managing partner of law firm Troxel Fitch, LLC. “You get to come in and know that you will have a safe and comfortable space to maximize your focus and therefore your earnings.”