Yahoo Finance Single ‘working pods’ pop up around Australia
Ever have an important meeting and your dog won’t stop barking, or you’re battling over the sound of your housemate’s work call? Well now you have another option.
Aussies will now have access to on-the-go offices, known as ‘TaskPods’, which are being rolled out at shopping centres, airports and transport hubs.
The single-person pods are designed to help Aussies manage working from anywhere.
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“Up until now, flexible working has involved having meetings and video calls hunched over café tables or even from your car,” TaskPod co-founder Adam Morgan said.
Ten TaskPods have already been installed across the country, including at Adelaide Airport, Perth Airport and at Sydney’s World Square and Pitt Street Mall. Another 25 are to be rolled out in the next four months, including at Westfield shopping centres and at train stations.
The modular orange and white office pods are soundproof and contain a desk and chair, access to secure WiFi, USB charging port and power points. Some have AV screens and the larger models contain a table and seating for up to 4 people.
“We’ve designed TaskPods to be like stepping stones for hybrid workers so they can jump in and out of work wherever they may be,” Morgan said.
“We’re rolling them out at shopping centres and major transport hubs including airports and train stations. Anywhere where people might be passing through and urgently need to take a call or jump onto a meeting.
“Our next rollout phase will include hospitals, corporate foyers and other public spaces.”
The recent census survey showed more than 2.5 million Australians were working from home and the trend was continuing.
TaskPods are accessed via an app – users can book them ahead of schedule or jump in straight away if they’re available.
The space costs $15 an hour and can be booked in 15-minute increments. People either pay for them individually or access their subscription through a company account.
Companies already offering a subscription to their employees include PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the Royal Automobile Association and Shiels Jewellers.
Co-founder Tyson Gundersen came up with the idea for the TaskPod when he was running late for a meeting.
“I was stuck in traffic one day travelling between a daycare drop off and work and was running late for a meeting, and thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great if I had a quiet space I could access mid-route to make my calls’,” Gundersen said.
“We think of it like a micro-office on the go or even a place to meet clients when you’re travelling around.
“We’ve even got students who log into university lectures in them and others using them as a space to meditate.”
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