COVID and Coworking in Gilbert Arizona in 2022
Looking back to March of 2020, nobody really knew how the Pandemic was going to affect them. Was it going to wipe out Earth’s entire population? Was it just a particularly bad flu? How long was it going to be with us? Was this virus going to be a short-term issue or linger for years?
Although we now have vaccines and seem to be on the tail end of the pandemic, it is still very much a part of our lives. Vaccines, viral variants, travel restrictions (which seem to be loosening up at the moment), mask policies, and social issues getting an enhanced level of attention. Times have changed for sure.
Remember when your grandparent or great-grandparents talked about the Great Depression? Nothing so profound could possibly affect us, right? Fast forward to 2050 and our generation may be telling COVID stories to the generations behind us.
How has COVID changed The Works- Gilbert?
Not at all. Our Policy at The Works – Gilbert has always been one of personal responsibility. More comfortable wearing a mask? Wear one. If you’d prefer not to wear a mask, don’t. We don’t judge. How could we? We don’t know any more about the risks than anyone else. Unfortunately, we’re bombarded with opinions and suggestions when we really need facts. Dr. Fauci says “Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks“, “wear masks thru 2022”, and “Two masks are better than one”, others say they’re unnecessary. Who do you agree with?
Another tragedy coming out of the COVID era may be the degradation of media that started well before the virus arrived. It seems that being the first to publish a story outweighs the truth. “If it bleeds, it leads” is now much easier to facilitate than it was 30 years ago. An unverified story can be published in a matter of minutes when a printing press isn’t involved. If news outlets can break the story first, that means more clicks, more reads, more ad revenue, and more comments, all at the cost of the truth.
We’re not hiding our heads in the sand though
Proper safety measures go a long way. Social distancing within reason, you rarely have to sit really close to someone else. We wipe surfaces with disinfectant, wash our hands often, use the hand sanitizer stations, and cover our mouths when we sneeze. You know, basic hygiene. And it’s worked. The community of small businesses at The Works has been happy, healthy, and productive the entire time.
One Observation of COVID and Coworking in Gilbert Arizona in 2022
A daily conversation we have with potential members who stop in for a tour or call us is nearly the same story. “I was sent home from my traditional office space in Phoenix (or any other valley city) to work from home during the pandemic. Excellent, I get to work from home. I thought this would be great! Removing rush-hour traffic from my life has been nice. BUT I can’t get anything done at home.
My 2-year-old child knows I’m home and cannot be stopped when they make it their mission to find me. Amazon and UPS don’t ring the doorbell unless I’m in the middle of a Zoom Presentation. The dog only barks when I’m on the phone. I’m a people person, and some days I don’t leave the house and don’t interact with anybody but my family members. Remote work was not what I had imagined.”
Although we are at full capacity for our private offices at the moment. We’d double our number of private offices tomorrow if we had that option. From time to time, an office will become available.
We still have a few Dedicated Desks (the desk is all yours, nobody else can sit there), Unlimited plans (you sit in any available seat with this plan), and 5-day plans. The 5-day plans are a good fit for those who want a hybrid work environment. Work from home a few days per week, but work from The Works 40 hours per month. Or perhaps you experience days where you must leave the house to conduct a face-to-face meeting. That’s when you download our Optix app and book a conference room. Quick and easy…….you don’t even need to make a phone call.
When you’re ready to Get Stuff Done again, we’ll be here. Call or email us for more info, or just to see what goes on over here at The Works – Gilbert.