As hybrid work becomes the new normal, adjustability, training, and thoughtful design can make shared office workstations safe, comfortable, and productive for everyone.
Hotelling has become the norm in many workplaces, since the pandemic sent everyone home in 2020. Many companies downsized their offices and now offer employees the option to come to work a few days a week, sharing a workstation with employees who come on different days.
From a real estate perspective, this makes a lot of sense! However, from an ergonomics perspective, hotelling introduces some challenges. When we do an assessment for an employee at a workstation, we can adjust everything to fit that person.
A hoteling workstation needs to accommodate a wide range of workers, which can be achieved through adjustability and thoughtful design.
Author's summary: Ergonomic workstations are crucial for hybrid work environments.