After many weeks of isolation, 48 loaves of banana bread, and countless Zoom meetings, many Australians are finding themselves putting away the headsets and webcams and going back to work during COVID-19. What may come as a bit of a surprise to some is that, with the pandemic still very much in the picture the workplace is likely to be anything but “business as usual”.
So, what can we expect when we all swap the trackies and Ugg boots for something a little “smarter” and head back in to the office in the coming weeks, and what can you as a business do to make sure your staff are kept safe?
A Move Away from Agility
In recent years the workplace has seen a real push towards agility. That is, making the most of office space by minimising physical space and resources allocated to individuals. While the agile workplace was certainly working well for a lot of businesses (it was a fantastic cost-saving measure), in this new reality it has ceased to be a realistic model. Gone are the days of hot-desking and shared workspaces, as well as the communal stationery cupboard. The new workplace will be all about keeping a safe distance, your own stash of tools and stationery, as well as the introduction of single use items.
- Certainly the first things that need to go are the shared mugs, cups, plates, and cutlery in the kitchen. Replace these items with recyclable coffee cups, individual water bottles, and single use recyclable plates, knives and forks
- It’s goodbye to the communal biscuit jar (think of how many hands dip in to it each day and you’ll understand why) and hello to individually portioned and packaged biscuits and snacks in the break room
- No more borrowing (or stealing!) scissors and staplers from coworker’s desks – for safety each employee should have a full kit of the tools they need to get through the day. Less sharing means less risk of spreading nasty germs. This kit could also include some cleaning sprays and/or handy anti-bacterial wipes for frequent disinfecting of high touch surfaces
- A possible return of the cubicle – those who are used to open plan desking may be shocked to see the return of the cubicle. An open plan makes social distancing in the office almost impossible, whereas cubicles, or even just some strategically placed partitions depending on the size of your business provide some distance and protection, as well as the added benefits of privacy and noise reduction
- You may have noticed the large perspex screen guards at your local supermarket or retail store, you may even see these pop up in offices, they’re ideal for high traffic areas like security desks and reception areas
Managing the Flow of People
Having everybody returning to the office at once presents somewhat of a social distancing challenge. Managing the flow of people in and around shared spaces like elevators, conference and meeting rooms, as well as kitchens and break rooms is inevitably going to be tricky for some workplaces. While handling this will be slightly different for each business, some potential solutions include:
- Staggering start/finish times to reduce the number of people congregating at elevators in the morning, or trying to grab that morning cup of coffee all at the same time. Imagine the pressure this would take off the morning commute if we all did this!
- Have staff continue working from home where possible, even if just for a day or two each week, reducing the number of people in the office on any one day reduces the risk of spreading germs
- Conduct meetings by video conference rather than in rooms
- Or better yet, limit the number of meetings altogether (perhaps it’s time to really evaluate which meetings could actually just be emails!)
Taking Direction
Get ready to see a lot more signs around the new workplace. In order to ensure everybody’s health and well-being it will be crucial for businesses to remind teams of social distancing and hygiene measures put in place to protect everyone, it will be even more crucial for these measures to be strictly followed by staff and visitors. As we return to work there’s a natural risk that the team will fall back in to pre-COVID19 habits. Signage is the best reminder of new protocol. Making sure that staff and visitors are clear on what is expected of them to maintain everyone’s health will be priority number one.
- Place signage in high traffic areas like stairwells, elevators, kitchens, meeting rooms, and hallways reminding staff to maintain social distance
- Floor signs and tape markings on the floor are an excellent visual reminder of exactly what 1.5meters looks like
- If you’re implementing staggered start times, or a work from home vs. from the office rotation system make sure everyone has a clear understanding of the schedule and when it’s ok to be in the office, people turning up on days when they’re supposed to be working from home can completely defeat the purpose
- Hygiene reminders should be prominent in key parts of the office including the kitchen, and bathroom
- Hand sanitiser dispensers should be placed around the office, and staff should have a personal bottle of hand sanitiser on their desks
- Make masks available to those who would be more comfortable wearing them
While some may be keen to get out of the house and back to the office, it’s understandable that others may be riddled with anxiety over it. And sure, every business has a responsibility to keep its employees safe and well but in the case of COVID-19 there’s a lot that the individual can do to keep themselves protected. Hand sanitiser, a stash of cleaning products and anti-bacterial wipes to disinfect the desk, mouse and keyboard each day, as well as personal cups and water bottles are just some of the ways to keep germs at bay and have a successful and healthy day at the office.
