#Industry News
Flex Office: Office Revolution or Daily Headache?
Flex Office and Adaptability: Key Values for Employees?
What is Flex Office?
Flex office, or flexible workspace, is an organizational model that has been growing rapidly in France in recent years. This concept is based on the idea that employees do not have assigned desks and can choose their workspaces according to their daily needs (quiet space, collaborative area, or meeting room).
According to a study published in January 2024 by the well-known site JLL.fr, "26% of employees are currently experimenting with this mode of operation and could reach 40% within the next two years." While this new approach is particularly popular with some, especially since the COVID-19 crisis and the rise in real estate prices in major cities, is it really the right option for your employees?
Flex Office and Adaptability: Key Values for Employees?
Some employees report satisfaction with this new way of working. The flex office allows everyone to choose their work environment, whether they want to settle in a quiet space to focus or in a more collaborative area for interaction. The ability to choose where and how to work, reduce commuting time, and adjust working hours significantly improves employee motivation and satisfaction, contributing to a better quality of work life.
Within these new workspaces, the efficiency and modernity of the IT tools provided are highly appreciated and allow for a real time-saving.
From the employer’s perspective, this new way of working also has a positive impact. Indeed, thanks to flex offices and telecommuting, companies reduce their real estate rental costs by decreasing the amount of available space. Since the COVID period, companies have invested in much more efficient digital tools to improve their capacity to work remotely and are pleased with the effectiveness. Lastly, by promoting shared workspaces, the flex office encourages interactions between employees from different departments, which undoubtedly stimulates creativity and innovation.
Flex Office: Not for Everyone?
Not all employees have the same work preferences. While some may enjoy the flex office, others prefer a fixed desk for comfort or organizational reasons. From the start, some employees expressed feelings of disorientation and a loss of bearings due to the absence of assigned desks. The lack of personalization of their space and the inability to claim the area disrupted their work approach. For others, a sense of not belonging to a team became noticeable. In short, some users of the flex office felt less anchored in their work environment.
Furthermore, the noise in open workspaces is a major concern frequently raised by workers. In a shared space, noise and distractions can often hinder concentration, making it difficult to complete tasks that require a high level of focus. Sensitive or confidential discussions may also be compromised in an open environment, creating problems for many companies. For managers, the flex office can also complicate team management. It becomes harder to monitor employees’ work and maintain team cohesion. Sometimes, depending on the occupancy rate, it becomes almost impossible to organize meetings with the entire team.
For about five years, flex office has been a growing trend in France, offering many advantages in terms of flexibility and space optimization. However, it is essential to consider the constraints to ensure a productive and pleasant work environment for all. Companies must therefore carefully study the implementation of this model and ensure it meets the needs and well-being of their employees.
In open-office environments, work pods or acoustic booths have become popular solutions to address the challenges of concentration and confidentiality. These private spaces, often modular and soundproofed, provide employees with a quiet environment to focus on specific tasks, make phone calls, or participate in video conferences without being disturbed by background noise.
The Evidence Pods by MECANALU offer the perfect solution to meet this demand: independent or mergeable booths, from 1 to 8 people in standard or custom sizes, fully adaptable to your needs and work environment. Designed according to your request and manufactured in France, MECANALU Pods are delivered pre-assembled and 100% electrically equipped to be set up on-site in record time with minimal disruption.
