Hoping to slow the spread of COVID-19, local coworking companies are switching up their policies or closing entirely for the month of March.
The Coven, a coworking space for women, transgender and non-binary professionals, announced Monday that it would close both its Minneapolis and St. Paul locations until March 30. In a statement, the company said that it would work closely with local partners and government officials to provide resources and aid to those who need it.
As part of that commitment, The Coven is offering a new pay-what-you-can digital membership option to support members in need. Digital members will have access to the community through its private app, Facebook and Slack groups, as well as any other standard programming opportunities through April 30. The Coven is also partnering with Lunar Startups for a series of free digital workshops called Fix-It Fridays.
Social enterprise company Impact Hub announced similar policies in response to COVID-19. The company said on Twitter Monday that it would close its Minneapolis office. Impact Hub did not provide further details about when it hoped to reopen.
Smaller coworking companies, such as Minneapolis-based ModernWell, also plan to close their doors through the end of the month.
Fueled Collective, which has four locations in the Twin Cities, alerted members at noon on Tuesday that it would close its spaces at 5 p.m. in order to comply with an executive order issued by Gov. Tim Walz the prior evening.
"We are all in this together, and we will return stronger on the other side of 'the curve.'"
Executive Order 20-04 temporarily closes bars, restaurants and other places of public accomodation in Minnesota. After reviewing the description, Fueled Collective decided that coworking spaces are also affected by this order.
"It is absolutely the right thing to do," CEO Kyle Coolbroth said in an email. "We are doing our part to stop the spread of the virus and make this decision with our members, staff and vendors health and wellness our top concern. We encourage all of our fellow coworking spaces to follow this same direction. We are all in this together, and we will return stronger on the other side of 'the curve.'"
Fueled Collective currently plans to reopen all locations on March 30. It will provide credit to all active members who are current on their payments for the number of days Fueled Collective remains closed.
Not all coworking companies are closed entirely. Both WeWork and The Riveter have opted for reduced staffing models as an alternative to shutting the doors.
The Riveter is a national company with a location in Edina. In a statement issued Sunday evening, the company said that it would take additional steps to help protect the health and safety of staff and members. Spaces are operating with limited staff and reduced hours. The Riveter also said that if it is still operating at reduced capacity on April 1, it will discount April membership fees by 50%. Its spaces will be closed for tours, events and activities.
WeWork's three Minneapolis locations will also remain open. Globally, WeWork employees have the option to work from home. The company's community teams, those actually in the spaces, have been moved to a reduced staffing model. This means that the offices will remain open and staffed, but with a minimal number of employees.
A spokesperson for the company said that it is working with individual cities and the Center for Disease Control to determine when or if a space should be closed. Currently, only four WeWorks in North America have been closed.
