Coworking spaces – solidarity community in times of plague

Abstract

Analysing the importance of social support, overcoming alienation, and investigating solidarity mechanism and group cohesion are the significant challenges of modern social systems. In this article, I consider the vital issue of changes in the sphere of work and the specifics of coworking in the pandemic, both in matters related to the running of coworking itself and also aspects related to interpersonal relations and dealing with uncertainty. This article addresses the problem of the role of coworking space and the epidemic’s impact on the labour market, especially among freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs in Poland. More specifically, the article aims to consider the following elements of the covid era on the labour market: the importance of social support, solidarity, the experience of uncertainty and risk and overcoming social aspects of isolation. Thus, I pose the research question: What were the changes in the functioning of coworking spaces during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the restrictions were the most severe? The research data presented in this paper are drawn from an internet survey with users of coworking spaces – freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs – conducted during the first lockdown in Poland (April 1–14, 2020). Flexible working methods represent a structural change that will inevitably increase in the coming months and years. The community that is created around CSs evokes mutual responsibility and loyalty; the relationships that bind them affect their commitment. Coworkers, as a community, recognised and pooled their resources. They develop a shared repertoire of experiences, stories, tools, and ways of addressing recurring problems.