1). Remote working to be part of office life
Working away from the office has now become the norm for many businesses. With 68 percent of British employees saying they’re more productive working from home, expect many organisations to allow their workers to spend more time working remotely.
If your employees do favour being at home, there are a number of ways you can keep them engaged without them being in the office.
For further info, the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce have produced a comprehensive guide on returning to the workplace.
2). The introduction of a rota system
The hustle and bustle of office life will be minimised by staggered shifts, which could see employees use a rota system to limit the number of staff in at any one time.
3). The closure of business headquarters
It has been heavily rumoured that businesses with call centres and big city offices will close them down, with firms such as Barclays and WPP revealing they intend to review their “location strategies”.
4). Floor markings for social distancing
One concern many employees have about returning to work is adhering to social distancing measures. Expect to see markings on the floor, similar to supermarkets, where workers follow a one-way system around the office to avoid close contact.
5). Personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff
Ensure employees feel safe at work by offering PPE for whenever they need it, including gloves, footwear and protective masks.
6). Enhanced cleaning procedures
A deep clean will be necessary before employees return to work, but it won’t stop there – the frequency of cleaning throughout buildings will be increased, particularly in built-up areas like reception.
Not only that, but high-contact items such as keyboards and door handles will also be cleaned regularly.
7). The end of hot desking
Using hot desks has become part and parcel of office culture in recent years, enabling offices with limited capacity to provide adequate space.
However, those companies will have to radically update their policies as COVID-19 renders hot desk environments inappropriate.
8). Spaced-out desks
Many office workers are often in close proximity. This is likely to change post-lockdown, however, with some desks removed to reduce density.
9). Limits on face-to-face meetings
Not only will large conferences be, at least temporarily, a strict no-no, face-to-face communications may be limited to just 15 minutes at a time.
Thanks to a plethora of remote working tools, however, face-to-face meetings won’t be essential in the short term.
10). The return of cubicles
An unlikely but viable option could be old school cubicles replacing the open-plan office format. The latter replaced the former at the turn of the century in order to foster greater collaboration, but feels less and less sensible post-lockdown.
Looking for further advice for returning to work? Attend our business recovery webinar on Wednesday 3 June for expert insight and support.
