I hate cubicles. I worked in one for years. They can be confining and lower morale. I’ve experienced it. However, now that I own a business and want to keep my employees safe but also have them return to work, I took a second look at the idea of cubicles. I did a lot of research and found out some interesting things.
Cubicles came to light during the mid 1960’s because they were a cost-effective way for companies to have more employees working in an office. This made a lot of sense to me. Then, they started to become the butt of jokes. Gilbert and Office Space. The problem is, with workspace distancing guidelines, walls have become necessary again. So can cubicles actually work?
I hate the idea of choosing the “lesser of two evils” and that’s what I felt like when I first started considering cubicles. Do I keep my employees remote or do I jam them in cubicles with partitions to stay safe?
What I Found Out About Cubicles Was Interesting
Cubicles aren’t actually all that bad anymore. Some cubicles are actually gorgeous and look sleek and modern. The furniture industry has adapted. Cubicles are now made to be professional and refined, modern office furniture and can create an atmosphere that may help make a positive impression on any client or guest or employee.
I found some popular cubicle designs that helped me on my journey.
Contemporary Colors in Your Office Can Make an Impact and Center Your Team Around Your Mission
There are lots of ways to spruce up your office, but using contemporary design and office furniture concepts with black and white mixed with pops of bold color can make a huge difference. Black office furniture against shades of tan lend modern sophistication to a space. Modern black and white colors complemented by deep blue’s, scarlet’s, and purple’s can make an office really be differentiated and help employees and customers see the mission, vision and value of an organization. We have even suggested printing the mission vision and value statements of your company on a wall to complement the design so it’s ever present when your employees and patrons walk in.
Don’t Just Get Shabby Cubicles, Accessorize Them and Color Them for Fun
I love the idea of providing employees an open and collaborative environment but it’s just not realistic right now. Look at all of the best tech startups today and their office spaces — they’re all open. They employ minimalist designs that are modest and allow employees to breathe while still getting the necessary functionality and that’s what I wanted. However, I just didn’t feel comfortable with my employees being in open air. What I learned is that there are cubicle options that can be contemporary and look great for employees as well as wall them off to limit spread of the virus.
