Creating a Workspace During COVID-19
COVID-19. Coronavirus. #FlattenTheCurve. Six months ago we as a nation had no clue about how these words would affect us all, but yet, here we are, working hard to continue working for you. Since COVID-19 has upended all industries across the world, Interior Fusion wanted to take a moment to go over some of our products and policies that we have put in place that work for us and some suppliers that have changed their practices to accommodate the “new normal”.
“Both social distancing and hygiene will certainly be taken into consideration when designing workspaces”, says Steve Jacobs, owner of the Interior Fusion in Jacksonville. “Knowing this, since early April we’ve been working really close with our suppliers looking for ways to create a safer work environment.”
One of those suppliers is Workrite Ergonomics, and their innovative Acrylic and Phenolic Divider Series. These dividers allow for current desks in any office space to be retrofitted to have a divider, made of high grade acrylic or phenolic resin.
“Offices will be going vertical”, says Jacobs. “Making walls higher using [dividers] and glass to existing shorter walls in order to create physical barriers between coworkers.” These physical barriers are necessary to ensure that social distancing practices in the office are being followed, without decreasing productivity among the team.
“It is our goal and promise to guide our clients to a new & healthy environment.”
Global Furniture Group has been active in understanding how social interaction is vital to any industry, and they have been proactive in understanding how distancing can be done smartly and safely within the workspace. To this point, both Global Furniture Group and Trendway understand the needs of continuing to function within the office, from offering unique materials to make surfaces easier to clean, to having products like moveable walls to accommodate the evolving office space.
“Offices will be going vertical”, says Jacobs. “Making walls higher using [dividers] and glass to existing shorter walls in order to create physical barriers between coworkers.”
Some industry professionals understand that the evolution of work is extending past the office space and entering the home.
“The majority of offices will eventually get back to their pre-COVID-19 capacity, however there will be a handful of companies that will decide to extend work-from-home for their staff”, says Jacobs. “Realizing this, we teamed up with one of our furniture suppliers, Groupe Lacasse, to create personalized ‘work from home’ stations that can meet the various space requirements.”
Global Furniture Group has been active in understanding how social interaction is vital to any industry, and they have been proactive in understanding how distancing can be done smartly and safely within the workspace.
We know that each industry is different, and some may not have to adjust much to meet these new standards.
“The future is going to be strange for some,” says Richard Fendley, CEO of the Interior Fusion in the Tampa Bay area. “I foresee that… some businesses will not change at all mainly due to their particular industry not warranting it.”
Regardless of the field, Fendley notes that Interior Fusion has the right experience and knowledge to help any office space thrive.
“It is our goal and promise to guide our clients to a new & healthy environment.”
No matter what your workspace looks like, whether it’s at home or back at the office, safety will be the top priority for us and for you moving forward.
“At the end of the day, whether it's COVID or not, it's still all about the client”, says Jacobs. “We are always running our business to be proactive, not reactive.“
To learn out more about what we are doing for our clients, and see the products that we offer, visit InteriorFusion.us or stop by one of our showrooms in Florida.
Jacksonville Showroom: 8409 Baymeadows Rd Jacksonville, FL 32256
Tampa Bay Area Showroom: 7225B Bryan Dairy Rd, Largo, FL 33773