Whether driven by necessity, productivity, or comfort, the pandemic has forced many workers to get creative about where they’re working. Ravi Soin always had a dedicated office in his home in Washington state. But the vice president of IT SaaS cloud operations and facilities at Edifecs, a global health IT company, welcomed the idea of working from his couch at the start of work-from-home orders. Read Full Story

Andy Mowery, chief product supply officer of the Clorox Company, reveals how COVID-19 may have changed the rules of manufacturing and supply chain forever. For Fast Company’ s Shape of Tomorrow series , we’re asking business leaders to share their inside perspective on how the COVID-19 era is transforming their industries. Here’s what’s been lost—and what could be gained—in the new world order . Read Full Story

People like flexible work schedules. Plus, the tangible benefits of contemporary offices—socialization, physical proximity to colleagues—don’t require workers to go to the office every day from 9 to 5. The future of the office has become an open question after the coronavirus lockdown forced tens of millions of Americans to work from home. Will office workers flock back to their cubicles and water coolers when the pandemic ends? Or will employees want to hold on to their newfound freedom and flexibility, while employers eye the lower costs of the lack of a physical footprint? At least a few companies have already answered this question: Twitter, for example, says most of its employees can continue working from home forever, making the office merely a place to meet clients. We asked three scholars to weigh in on the future of the office. Read Full Story

Ikea’s new line of candles aims to evoke nostalgia and memories of your childhood home. The first scent I remember is my father’s. As a small child, I would embrace him when he came home from the office and nuzzle into his tweed blazer, which smelled faintly of leather, tobacco, and an earthiness that’s hard to put into words. To me, this smell will forever be associated with home. I sometimes wonder what scent memories my 4-year-old daughter is forming right now. Read Full Story

A recent survey of more than 500 VC-funded founders said they weren’t in a hurry to return their people to offices. “If COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were lifted tomorrow, would you return your company/team to the office?” Read Full Story

This PR company took a deep dive into what was knocking some employees off their game and came up with new rules to govern its communications that boosted productivity and reduced stress. Whether your team is working from home or in the office, workplace distractions can be difficult to avoid. A Zoom meeting or Slack message can dislodge you from your flow state just as surely as someone sidling up to your cubicle and asking you about your weekend plans. Read Full Story

Will definitely inspire. *May* inspire design envy. More and more people are working from home as companies take precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. But just because we’re practicing social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t virtually pop into some designers’ home offices to see their set-up. Read Full Story

The right virtual add-ons and pivots can change your business model forever.

The current crisis provides an opportunity to rethink your company's culture.

Keep your home clean and functional with these trending deals.