After COVID-19, the office will look very different than it did in early 2020. Businesses are trying to reduce the number of people in the office to a minimum, distributing personal protective equipment and controlling the flow of people around the building to ensure social distancing.
Reviewing sick leave policies and drawing up new evacuation plans are some of the things companies returning to the office are doing, while others are rethinking how they use their workspace or considering whether to cease operations altogether.
Here are tips for those planning to reopen their indoor workplaces:
Health priority
Safety is paramount and the return to the office should be planned gradually and carefully. Social distancing is essential, so companies need to plan how to safely their staff back, keep the number of employees low and ensure that offices have adequate distances. Companies may also close common areas and insist that staff eat at their desks.
Real estate review
Twitter has already told its staff that they don't need to return to the office, and the success of working from home means many companies will do the same. But that doesn't mean they'll close their offices completely, at least for now.
Instead, companies might look to repurpose workspace for special events, said Jason Deshayes of Cook Wealth Management Group, whose office is in North Carolina. Offices could be converted into co-working to brainstorm creative strategies or host live training events and remote conferences and client meetings, he said.
For companies paying very high rent, leasing space could be an option to cover costs, said Deshayes, whose company is closer to remote work for the foreseeable future.
Plan for unforeseen situations
Companies already have plans for evacuating offices in the event of fires or earthquakes, but now they need to add emergencies to the list.
If an employee shows COVID-19 symptoms in the workplace, you need to know how to safely get them out of the building, Fitzgerald said. Companies may need to close down a floor or an entire buildingbefore deep cleaning it, track and trace all staff who come into contact with the employee and pay for COVID-19 testing, he said.
Policy review
Convincing staff working from home to return to the office can be a challenge, but for high-risk employees, meaning those with vulnerable family or children who are learning remotely, returning to the workplace is simply not an option at this time.
Companies need to ensure that these staff have the right technology and resources to continue working from home. More companies are now more likely to consider flexible working requests than before the pandemic outbreak.
Policies covering sick leave, health benefits and work permits also need to be reviewed to adequately protect staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are required to self-isolate, Fitzgerald said. “It’s all up in the air and it’s all open to scrutiny right now, which is a good thing,” he said.
Be flexible
Flexibility and quick thinking are essential for companies as they reopen their offices, with the solutions they are carefully planning now likely to be revised as they deal with the rapidly evolving situation.
More than ever, communication is critical to ensuring staff understand the latest leadership guidance.
