The loss in productivity and overall decline in industries across the globe in this past quarter needs careful speculation, specifically concerning the purpose and nature of, workspaces. Viability of emergent flexible work models, that include options to work remotely need to be carefully assessed while moving forward. Flexible work-space solutions that can allow for controlled sections of the workforce to work from offices intermittently, in varying shifts is the most practicable step forward. Limiting the total number of people in a closed space is the first step in ensuring the arrest of further infections. However, in the long term as a larger part of the workforce resumes going to office, there are measures that will need to be instated in order to ensure employee safety and well. There is a need to find integrated solutions which can abide by the required safety norms, while capitalizing on available resources, and reducing facility management costs.
Here are a few steps that you can take to build a safe workspace for your employees:
1. Effectively Monitor the Traffic
Though segregating the total number of people at work by hour shifts is necessary, preventive measures need to also account for extraneous circumstances that affect employees’ health. For instance, a recent study found that commuting to work is the biggest concern amongst employees returning to offices (hyperlink to: https://www.jll.com.sg/content/dam/jll-com/documents/pdf/research/americas/us/jll-us-workplace-experience-survey.pdf). A solution that can incorporate health data from city authorities will be the most effective in creating work plans that account for the safety of their employees even outside the office.
2. Optimize space
An integrated desk management solution which optimizes floor plans by automating seat allocation to maintain social distancing, and automatically schedules sanitization protocols is a smart way to reduce costs and eradicate any margins for error.
3. Virtual Navigation
Allowing employees to book seats and special rooms before coming to work helps control the total number of people in the building, and enables them to make informed decisions before stepping out of their homes. You can minimize risks even further by creating an interactive virtual platform where employees can find colleagues, collaborators, or specific departments online. This helps maintain social distance within the office space.
4. Contactless Transactions
By integrating contactless solutions in existing infrastructures business can help curb the spread of contagions at the workplace. These can also help create automatic logs of every person in the building. Extending these services to shared spaces like the cafeteria, can help avoid over-crowding, and enable employees to place and pay for their cafeteria orders online.
5. Clear Communication
Employees’ confidence in their organization has historically been the backbone of any successful venture. In the current scenario, it is pertinent that employees feel safe returning to the office. This can be achieved only through complete transparency in communication. It is essential to makes all logistical data along with a response plan easily available to each employee. Not only does this instill a sense of good faith in the company but also helps foster employee confidence, while creating a sense of involvement in each precaution that is undertaken to build a safe workspace.