After years of squeezing ever more workers into tighter office spaces, companies are realizing how efficiently the modern workspace can spread diseases like the coronavirus.
Cubicles and private offices have made way for open floors, where a sneeze or cough can circulate uninterrupted. Companies have removed physical barriers between employees, encouraging them to socialize as much as possible.
Between 2018 and 2019, the average office space per seat in North America declined by 14.3% to 195.6 square feet, according to brokerage firm JLL’s 2020 Occupancy Benchmarking Report.
Many companies also have abolished assigned seating, rotating workers through the office. That means workers in many offices are now more likely to touch surfaces contaminated by others. Popular public areas are sometimes more prone to spread germs than restrooms, health researchers say. Inspired by tech startups and co-working companies, more offices feature snack bars, beer kegs and other spots where workers can mingle and spread germs.
Using less space per worker has allowed companies to reduce their rent bills, and the spread of disease was a minor concern when the biggest danger was the seasonal flu. Now that the more dangerous coronavirus is spreading, some real-estate and health experts suggest changes are in order.
“We spend more time in offices than any generation in history,” said Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. “That’s really why it becomes more important to think about the spread of disease and how we can design buildings better.”
Some U.S. companies are already shuttering offices and sending workers home to prevent the coronavirus from spreading among their workers. Others are distributing disinfecting wipes and cutting down on travel and meetings.
The danger might be lower if offices were designed differently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the disease tends to spread between people within 6 feet of each other, and through coughs and sneezes.
In a study of more than 1,800 Swedish office workers that was published in 2014, a group of researchers from Stockholm University found that open-plan offices lead to more sick leaves. Among the possible explanations is that these offices can be more stressful, and risk of infection may be greater. The study also found that offices without assigned desks lead to more extended sick leaves, but only among men.
Open-floor offices and hot desks go back decades, but they have become more popular among some companies as their approach to work has evolved to emphasize more collaboration
Tech companies often prize open offices, and their workspaces in turn inspired others. When Facebook announced the design of its new California headquarters in 2012, it said it would be the world’s largest open-office floor plan.