23% of Employees Face Safety and Security Issues at Their Coworking Space
Coworking spaces have challenges many traditional offices don’t, such as lack of privacy, limited space, distractions, and security issues.
Not all employees feel safe in their coworking space, according to a new survey from Clutch, the leading B2B ratings and reviews platform.
Nearly one-quarter of coworking employees (23%) say security and safety concerns are challenges of their coworking space.
Some people have concerns about the safety of their belongings.
“Due to the highly transient nature of the people at a [coworking space], it’s wise to keep your eyes on your property,” said Andy Abramson, CEO of Comunicano, a marketing communications agency in San Diego. “Leaving a laptop or phone on a coworking desk for long periods is obviously risky.”
Other coworking employees worry others may get ahold of their confidential work.
“There is one central printer per floor that everyone has access to,” said Marc Prosser, CEO of Choosing Therapy, an online publication about psychology and mental health, in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Anyone can potentially see what I am printing out, unless I wait for the printer to finish and immediately scoop up the documents.”
People may feel less secure with their data and belongings than they would at a private office, where they can leave items on their desks and talk more freely about their company.
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Workers Would Rather Work Remotely Than in a Coworking Space
A minority of people who work in a coworking space would choose that workspace.
Just one-third of coworking employees (33%) would prefer to work in their coworking space. Thirty-nine percent (39%) would prefer to work remotely, while 28% would rather work in a traditional office space.
Coworking spaces are beneficial for people whose lives are not conducive to working from home, however.
“I’d rather work remotely if I had a safe space at home,” said Morgan Taylor, chief marketing officer of LetMeBank, a financial services company based in Los Angeles. “But given that I have young kids I enjoy being around, I find that removing myself to a coworking space enhances my productivity.”
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Distractions and Noise, Lack of Privacy Biggest Challenges of Coworking Spaces
Even if people are happy overall in their coworking space, 88% still face challenge in a shared office environment.
Clutch found the top five challenges of coworking spaces are:
1. Distractions and noise (48%)
2. Lack of privacy (48%)
3. Limited space (39%)
4. Insufficient equipment (31%)
5. Inability to personalize workspace (31%)
“When you have a full day of conference calls or one-on-one calls, the need for a private space reigns, as the noise from others can often be distracting,” Abramson said. “Not to mention, it’s hard to have a confidential conversation in a public space, making the coworking facility nothing more than a coffee shop.”
Clutch’s 2020 Coworking Survey included 501 people who have worked in a coworking space in the past 12 months.
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