While it’s difficult to speculate how the pandemic has and will affect coworking spaces, one thing may be certain: remote working has been the single biggest workplace shift which makes the need for coworking spaces more relevant than before.
As the months of remote working have continued, most companies are now looking for a successful pivot back into familiar office environments as vaccination numbers rise and safety precautions provide means to open doors. However, rather than waiting for the virus to end, companies may need to take into consideration the need for providing workspaces for some of its most valued employees—working mothers.
During the height of the pandemic, the workforce took a hit as nearly 1 in 4 women (a number some economists have as high as 3 million) left jobs to return home. Before COVID, women comprised over 50% of the country’s workforce, a statistic businesses cannot easily ignore. But that number has dropped sharply as many women, particularly mothers of young children, finding themselves laid off or let go of entirely. Many mothers were left to choose between caring for their children or reporting to work.
Now with jobs opening back up, companies who rely on a strong female workforce and the skills brought to the office by women will have to embrace methods to hire them while providing them peace of mind. This is how coworking is a better option for mothers, who undoubtedly will have their thoughts on keeping home safe from coronavirus exposure potential that traditional offices bring. The pandemic has also fueled the discussion that workers can succeed remotely away from traditional office settings.
On the flip side, mothers who owned their businesses were forced to juggle the day-to-day work of running a business with children at home who needed supervision or who were in remote learning. This meant an inability to socialize, focus deeply on work, and moving meetings to online conference call services. Being at home for upwards of 16-18 months—especially for those working mothers who are extroverted—led to more instances of anxiety and depression from trying to maintain work-life balance, social isolation, fear of job/client loss, and constant concern for their families.
If you are one of these mothers, here are a few reasons why to coworking can give you the social boost you need and get you back to a normal work life.
- Coworking spaces offer an uplifting environment that gives remote workers the tools necessary to succeed in a location that’s safe and convenient.
- Coworking spaces provide a social connection with other mothers to whom you can network, talk life, and feel comfortable around.
- Coworking spaces allow mothers to have the flexibility to freely move between work and home as needed.
- Coworking spaces give peace of mind as they are set up to meet guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and keep workers safe.
With the Labor Department’s first half employment report showing a 559,000 job gain by women returning to the workforce, businesses may find that providing flexible options, like coworking, for working mothers to be the best solution to boost their bottom line and sustain their businesses.
