‘Smart working’, teleworking, are the new trends that have revolutionised the traditional spaces occupied by employees
Google has changed the workspace concept. Offices without walls and with fewer desks and fun furniture. Spaces with large tables where employees can work on their laptops and interact with each other. There are even cafeterias, restaurants, launderettes, swimming pools, hairdressers, nurseries. Consequently, employees don’t have to worry about anything.
The typical elements found in Google offices include beanbags, slides, swings, ping pong tables. In addition, workers can bring their pets. 20% of the time of their working day is reserved for creativity. For this reason, creative areas are also designed, in which workers can develop their ideas. In fact, that time is intended for them to carry on with projects that are not related to their work at Google. These are clearly unimaginable facilities, but they exist.
This is a working model and philosophy that many companies are adopting. Indeed, organisational experts point out that the workplace concept will disappear and new more flexible forms will arise that are less subject to fixed places and that are open to interaction. In fact, in recent years, two new terms have emerged: teleworking and ‘smart working’.
Teleworking
The idea arose forty years ago under the name of telecommuting. This new way of working does away with the usual barriers of time spent in the office and provides a more flexible schedule. Employees are not physically bound to their work centres all the time.
Smart working
This is considered to be an evolution of teleworking because it goes beyond space and time. Employees are not constrained by having to work in a given space. There is a high degree of autonomy in choosing the place; for example, improvising an office in an airport, hotel, or park. Space is no longer an issue; it is all about meeting certain goals in a timely manner.