In 1985, American workers averaged 400 square feet of working space. Now the average is 250 feet.
The image here is not a workspace designed by EthoSource; it’s what we think the news about the shrinking office might bring to your mind as you read. Judging by the hardware in the photo, these guys were ahead of the curve.
We have to bear in mind that the square footage listed is an average per employee, including both the impressive penthouse office and the guys on the assembly line.
Still, we can’t deny that this is a big change in a relatively short time. We’ve lost more than five square feet per person, per year. At this rate, we’ll be shoulder to shoulder by retirement age.
What’s good about this?
- It’s greener. Using less space in more creative ways makes better use of precious resources.
- Its more economical. The cost of real estate, plus the cost to light, heat, and cool spaces makes a sprawling workplace an expensive workplace.
- It’s more efficient. Instead of a spacious office with lots of meeting space which is empty much of the time, we can have cozy focused workspaces and separate collaborative spaces used by many people at different times.
- It shows flexibility. Sure, part of the shrinking employee space is a response to rising real estate costs. Another factor, though, is the increase in flexible workspace. More of us are telecommuting, working remotely, or spending a lot of time out of the office in response to new business realities. One estimate claims that 60% of an average office building’s desks are empty at any given time, because of travel and meetings.
Welcoming smaller private workspaces and more different kinds of community workspaces can increase productivity, collaboration, and employee engagement. It requires thoughtful use of furniture. Check out some of our customization options to see how many possibilities you have available to you.