Everyone has experienced a massive disruption over the past year due to a deadly virus known as COVID-19. This pandemic has succeeded in shutting down businesses and making people hide away in their homes for safety. After a year of dealing with this pandemic, vaccines have been successfully developed and are gradually distributed. With things starting to clear up, it’s clear that a new normal shall arrive in our daily lives. Business leaders need to start taking steps to consider what their workplace will look like upon reopening when COVID-19 finally declines.
The previous workforce model that existed in pre-pandemic times will no longer be entirely viable. Organizations and employees need to adapt to the new changes and find ways of working. The pandemic forced years of digital transformation in only a few months, changing the way employees worked. With a significant change to the remote workforce, business leaders are presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine the roles an office environment plays in their business post-pandemic. It’s a time where business leaders need to toss away those outdated assumptions and analyze the actual value of the office space.
Plenty of companies have already reported the success of implementing years worth of tech over a few months. For example, plenty of health care providers shifted towards telemedicine during these trying times. Companies that needed to maintain a sizable co-located workplace also relied on technology to improve their employee and customer engagement. For instance, Hitachi used sensors to monitor social distancing in factories, and plenty of restaurants swiftly adopted virtual ordering and delivery services.
Business leaders need to start considering how they are going to transform their business into something that can support their workforce in a post-pandemic world. What kind of measures can they implement to ensure the safety of their employees? Particularly for those who do decide to return to the office space in some capacity.
FlexJobs surveyed over 2,100 people who worked remotely throughout the pandemic. The survey reveals that not only do employees want to remote work post-pandemic, but 58% of the state that they would look for a new job if they were not allowed to continue working off-site in their current position. Furthermore, 65% of them wish to continue working remotely full-time post-pandemic, with another 33% preferring the hybrid workforce model. The top concerns for the reluctance of returning to office include COVID-19 exposure, less flexibility, and a terrible work-life balance.
Some Other concerns employees have about returning to the office space include:
As you can see, getting your workforce to return to an on-site model will be far more challenging to meet. Even introducing a hybrid model workplace will be challenging since most workers are reluctant to return to an office setting. Organizations need to take this time to analyze their offices and see what changes and improvements they can make to ensure the wellness and safety of their employees.
Office space planning is something every company needs to prepare for the return of an on-site workforce. Whether full-on on-site workforce or hybrid, business leaders need to be proactive in developing an efficient office space strategy that defines their goals and understands the needs of your workforce. Here’s what you need to do to get started.
The health and safety of your workforce need to be your top priority. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has introduced an unprecedented perspective to this. Employers need to keep their workforce safe in a post-pandemic workplace, which means rethinking seating arrangements to ensure enough distance is kept between workstations. You may also need to change to unassigned seating with sanitation protocols set in place to offer employees the choice to work from a safer distance from each other.
Some other goals include permitting your employees to continue flexibly working from home when it makes sense for their job position. Furthermore, you may want to consider diminishing the real estate costs. That way, you can be more strategic with aligning your available office space with the actual need of your on-site workforce.
One of many concerns about working at an open office is the idea of it becoming a hotspot for spreading COVID-19. Of course, any organization that takes proper precautions can prevent this terrible scenario from happening. Several strategies are already being developed as a response to this pandemic. Your workforce will be spread out far more in the office space, and the introduction of touchless technologies will become more common. Things like doors, elevators, and bathrooms will be equipped with this type of technology.
Paper will become increasingly reduced as companies continue to rely on technology, and clear work services will continue to grow to prevent deadly germs from spreading. The integration of germ-resistant surfaces is also rising, with many organizations replacing their furniture with them. Additionally, fresh air circulation and improved ventilation will assist with preventing the spread of germs.
One popular design that was making its way through most companies is the Biophilia design. It’s a design that allows natural light from the outside to shine into indoor spaces. Plenty of companies have adopted this design due to studies showing that exposure to a natural environment can help relax and focus an employee. Introducing more natural light into your office space could potentially lessen the stress of the pandemic for your on-site workforce. The feature also makes your office space seem more appealing and welcoming to others.
Some examples of biophilia include daylighting, laying out plans and other natural features, and building a part of your office with natural materials. The office will also be surrounded by more natural colors such as shades of blue, green, and brown. Furthermore, wood and stone feature far more than plastic and neon lighting.
Integrating these features into your workplace will support your practices and encourage employees to get up from their desks and take a short break. Frequent breaks allow the mind to remain fresh and lessen the sedentary lifestyle. Introducing natural light into your office space not only encourages productivity but also promotes the well-being of your workforce.
Communication levels established during the pandemic need to continue to be maintained after employees return to the workplace. Managers openly encouraging protocols for visitors, social distancing, and housekeeping will create a sense of trust from employees, knowing that their leaders are making their health and safety a top priority. Things will be mostly different around the office space post-pandemic, and an efficient training and communication program can help people transition into the new normal.
For instance, introducing change in management methods can include things like establishing back-to-the-office change meetings, tours, instruction on how to use the office space, and what changes were made for social distancing. Any crucial changes made to documents and guidelines need to be made aware of, such as FAQs and safety etiquette guides.
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Safety protocols need to go under revision for the sake of your employees. Screening procedures for guests, contractors, and employees need to be installed. That can be accomplished by installing Infrared Fever Scan Systems (IFss) or other health assessment equipment. Setting a work time made of four-day work weeks can also reduce the number of employees in the office space at the same time. Break and lunchtimes should also be scheduled or lengthened to diminish occupant loads.
Along with social distancing and limiting group sizes, centralized trash and recycling bins with regular disposal can shorten the chance of disease transmission. Introducing a clean desk policy that lacks memorabilia permits the night-time cleaning crew an easier way of thoroughly cleaning the desks. Additionally, equip bathrooms with conventional hands-free faucets, soap, and paper towel dispensers. The no-touch option should be considered for doors, badge readers, and recycle bins.
Employees should be allowed to decide on whether or not they want to wear personal protective equipment when returning to the workplace to defend themselves against germs from contact or droplets. This protective equipment includes face makes, gloves, and goggles. Companies also provide protective equipment available for personal use outside the office environment to provide an extra level of protection.
If your company is one of the many organizations that provides its employees with a hot meal, you need to establish some general guidelines. These guidelines should include reduced hours, a limited offering of food, pre-packed items only, and no cash sales. The office coffee maker, water stations, and fresh fruit snacks need to be temporarily closed along with any morning pastries and birthday cakes. Until the pandemic subsides, these services need to be set aside for the time being. Although, any pre-packed snacks should be fine enough.
Depending on the room your people are in, there may be specific guidelines they need to follow and extend it to any visitors or contractors.
If you have not established any guest rules or identification requirements, control access to the office area through signage or phone-in entry. Setting up temporary sneeze guard screens at the reception and check-in areas can further prevent any spread. Taking away or rearranging seats in the welcome area can ensure social distancing rules are sustained. To uphold hygiene, remove the magazine, company swag, or pens from the reception area, and keep some hand sanitizer dispensers openly available.
To support your workforce with social distancing, begin with a floor method showing the workstations to be utilized and to define your max capacity per floor or wing. Take away some of the chairs and monitors to discourage the use of an empty workspace. Employee personal items should be removed so the workstations can be cleaned and sanitized easily by the night-time cleaning crew. Tell your workforce to pack those family photos and bring them home with them. Other practices could include installing shields between workstations or re-orienting workstations, so employees won't have to be face-to-face.
While some states have let up the maximum number of people that can gather in a room, there are still some people who may not be entirely comfortable cramped in a single place with so many people. Chances are you may need to remove those extra conference room chairs and install signages indicating the maximum number of people allowed in each conference room, meeting, or focus room. Use your hugest conference room to store your chairs.
Technology was one of the primary reasons why so many companies were able to survive through the pandemic. When offices were forced to shut down, many organizations were required to switch to work from home. They had to rely on all sorts of technological tools to continue achieving the results they needed to survive as a business. The return of an on-site workforce model should not change that by too much, but there are still some things you need to consider.
Voice Over IP (VoIP) is a much safer and cleaner option than traditional phones. Plus, this technology is supportable for working off-site, so it lets your on-site workforce remain in touch with the off-site workforce. Introducing hygiene practices that discourage sharing any headsets, mice, and keyboards needs to be set in place. During a shift setting where several people share a single workspace, adjustments need to be made, have your workers bring their tech gear to work.
Virtual meeting and collaboration platforms like Zoom need to remain in use to ensure everyone is connected professionally and personally. Promote virtual meeting attendance even when the offices reopen to ensure relationships continue to remain strong among coworkers. You also need to make sure you are closely managing and monitoring your workforce. Tools like LinkHCM allow you to keep up with your expanding workforce. After all, it is not like you are going to stop growing your business in the middle of a pandemic. The talent pool has expanded during the pandemic, so tools like LinkHCM will assist you in these endeavors.
Most organizations are eager to return their workforce to the office setting. If you are one of the many organizations that are attempting to do so, make sure you take what we have written here into consideration. Consider your employees' feelings as well. Plenty of people are claiming that they want to continue working from home, or at least partially. It is up to you to adapt to their needs and see what suits your organization best.