The flex office is a new way of thinking about your work. More mobile, more nomadic, more stimulating, the somewhat revolutionary organization can also represent a source of savings for the company.
The main concern of an employer must always be the well-being of its employees. The last few years have been marked by the emergence of new work organisations, which go in the direction of employee comfort and autonomy. The trend is also towards nomadism and the sharing of resources. The flex office responds to all these data.
What is flex office?
The flex office offers a new way of occupying space in a company. The mode of telework (or at least the constraint imposed by the recent health crisis) has given the world of work new thoughts on the workplace, especially in the tertiary sector. The remote worker realized that he could be mobile as long as his computer could be connected to his company's network.
Furthermore, the absence (or at least the non-presence) of remote teleworkers has freed up space and made desks available. They may have been occupied by an unusual collaborator. Thus the idea of the dedicated and personalized office has become somewhat outdated. The idea of the flex office (the “mobile office” or “flexible office”) has gained ground.
The most innovative companies were quick to try the experiment. The employee equipped with a laptop computer no longer has an office in his name or an assigned place. He can sit wherever he wants, and change places every day, it being understood that each of the places gives immediate network access.
The interest does not stop there. A bet is also tempted on the dynamism provided by the situation. The flex office brings together the collaborators of the same project in the same space for a defined period. Better: the frequent change of place would be a driver for the creativity of the collaborator, and therefore his productivity.
How to organize the flex office?
L’idée maîtresse du flex office est que le collaborateur puisse s���installer où bon lui semble. Qu’il s’agisse d’un lieu de travail en open-space ou en bureaux individuels, l’objectif est de lui donner un espace de travail sur lequel il peut installer rapidement son équipement (un ordinateur portable) et s’atteler à sa tâche sans obstacle (une simple prise pour se connecter au réseau ou à internet).
When he has finished his work, the collaborator must leave the place as he would have liked to find it when he arrived. That is to say, he must not leave any personal material on the desk. No computer, no pencil, no paper. Lockers or a cloakroom must therefore be made available to employees so that they can store their equipment when they leave the company.
Quels avantages donne le flex office ?
It has been observed that the flex office energizes the work of employees. Being able to change your work environment frequently erases the feeling of routine and regenerates productivity.
It also allows for better overall team cohesion. Before the flex office, some employees of the same company could simply not know each other, because they had not been able to work together. The flex office allows greater mixing and therefore promotes meetings between employees.
For businesses, flex office can be a source of savings. Since they are either telecommuting, traveling or on vacation, employees are rarely all present on the same day. It is useless to have a desk for everyone: a significant space saving can result. And therefore a reduction in costs.
Does flex office have any flaws?
Any medal on its reverse. The flex office also has some shortcomings that should be considered before opting for this new way of working.
The flex office is indeed the end of the personalized office with personal decorations, the photo of the children and the pencils stored in such a drawer. The work environment becomes somewhat depersonalized and some employees may experience a loss of bearings. Especially newcomers to the business.
Despite its libertarian nature, the flex office requires rigorous organization. For example, to book a meeting room, you have to do it in advance so as not to find an employee to dislodge at the hour.
Tensions can also arise when employees come to argue about having “the best place”. An employee may also find himself forced to settle in a place that he did not particularly want, which can affect his productivity.
Finally, keep in mind that the flex office is not suitable for all situations. Employees who deal with confidential data or keep a large part of the work on paper (accounting, human resources, etc.) may find it more difficult to be mobile.
What about employees with disabilities who may in some cases not be able to access certain positions due to their specific equipment.
A few tips before setting up the flex office
Since this is a significant change in the company's work organization, the implementation of a flex office system must be subject to prior consultation with the CSE. The employer must ensure that he has the agreement of the employees. It is preferable to submit the idea upstream and to provoke discussions before the implementation.
Once the flex office organization is effective, the employer must remain vigilant about the impact it has on all employees. In particular, we must remain attentive to those who resist and ensure that the transition goes well despite their reservations. It is important that all employees adhere to the new organization.
In the event of a reduction in the number of positions, the employer must guarantee a place for all employees present and review rotations if necessary. He must also watch over the working conditions, check that the freedom of each other does not make the space too noisy. It is important to maintain the dynamic within the team.