Back to the Office in September: How to Plan It from a Flexible Space

How to plan the back-to-office return in September from a flexible space

Going back to the office in September marks, every year, the true restart of the business calendar in Spain. Holidays end, teams come back with renewed energy, and many companies take the opportunity to rethink where and how they will work for the rest of the year. If your company is considering the return to the office in September this year, a flexible space can save you weeks of paperwork, renovations, and decisions you can’t afford to postpone.

In this article we explain step by step how to plan the return to the office in September, and why more and more companies, from SMEs to subsidiaries of large corporations, are choosing a flexible space to do it without friction.

Why going back to the office in September is the key moment to review your workspace

Summer tends to put important decisions on hold: contract renewals, team changes, the launch of new business lines. In September all of that piles up at once, right when you also have to welcome back employees returning from vacation and, in many cases, new hires from the last quarter.

The real estate sector has been pointing to this trend for some time. A recent JLL report on the flex sector, “The Flexible Office Space Imperative” reveals a notable gap between actual office occupancy globally and the level companies say they are aiming for, confirming that many companies are still adjusting how much space they really need and when they need it. That mismatch is precisely what a flexible space solves: it lets you adapt the office to your team’s real size, without overpaying or signing long-term commitments, right before the return to the office in September.

1. Take an honest look at your team before deciding anything

Before looking for space for the return to the office in September, answer three questions:

• How many people will actually come back in person, and how often?
• Has the team grown or shrunk over the course of the year?
• Do you need a fixed space every day, or only occasionally for meetings and projects?

This assessment is what makes the difference between renting more space “just in case” and finding a model that fits exactly what you need in September, adjustable in the following months.

2. Choose a flexible space you can occupy without renovations or delays

One of the main obstacles to the return to the office in September is time: renovating or fitting out a space can take months, which is incompatible with a business calendar that doesn’t wait. In a flexible workspace like those from First workplaces, offices arrive fully equipped and ready to start working from day one, with no upfront investment and no renovation work involved.

This is especially useful if your company needs:

• A private office for a team that has grown over the year.
• An executive office for one person or a small sales team.
• A coworking space to accommodate occasional collaborators or freelancers.

3. Take advantage of everything being included in the monthly fee

One of the things that saves the most time when planning the return to the office in September is not having to manage internet, cleaning, security, or maintenance separately. At First workplaces centers, all utilities and services are included in the monthly fee, so in September there’s no need to open contracts with providers or worry about surprises: symmetrical fiber optic and 5G WiFi, daily cleaning, controlled access with a personal card, and 24/7, 365-day physical security.

This makes the return to the office far simpler for HR and administration teams, who in September usually already have their hands full with people returning, schedules, and pending projects.

4. Think of meeting rooms as part of your back-to-office strategy

The return to the office in September doesn’t always mean “everyone, every day.” Many companies are adopting hybrid models where a fixed space is combined with meeting rooms and training rooms booked only when needed. Having meeting rooms, training rooms, and phone booths available on demand lets you welcome your team back without committing to a fixed-size space for the rest of the year.

5. Choose the location with your team’s commute in mind

After the summer, commuting convenience matters more than usual. Having offices in prime, well-connected locations makes the return to the office in September easier for the team, while also projecting a good image to clients and visitors.

6. Leave room to adjust the space in the coming months

One of the biggest advantages of a flexible space over a traditional office is that you don’t have to get your September return-to-office plan exactly right on the first try. If your team is eight people in September but you need ten more desks in November, a flexible model lets you grow (or shrink) without renegotiating a multi-year contract or taking on the costs of a full office move.

Plan your return to the office in September with First Workplaces

At First workplaces, we’ve been helping companies of all sizes settle into offices and coworking spaces in Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga since 2009, with no upfront investment and everything included from day one. If your company is thinking about how to organize the return to the office in September, our team can help you find the space that best fits your current team, with the flexibility to adjust it whenever you need.

Ready to start planning your return? Request information about our spaces and we’ll help you find the ideal office or coworking space for your team this September.