What would the "new reality" of employees look like, when they return to the offices?

In connection with the gradual thawing of operations announced by the Polish government, the companies started preparations to restore work in office buildings. It consists of some employees who are already "tired" in home office mode, looking forward to arriving at their offices. What will the return to this "new reality" look like?

Under the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of April 15 this year, all organizations returning to their offices must meet certain conditions. Providing employees with disposable gloves, hand disinfectants and maintaining a 1.5-meter distance between positions is the absolute minimum. Employees who provide direct customer service also need to wear face and mouth masks.

"However, many employers will go a step further and introduce even greater security measures to their offices. The worst thing that can happen to any organization is the paralysis caused by the infection of entire teams. Businesses can't afford it, that's why they'll blow it cold. The return to a new normality will be gradual and with the highest precautions being taken, "says Ma?gorzata Michalczyk, director of administration, Colliers International.

Social isolation in the office version.

Employees returning to office buildings must therefore be prepared for completely new procedures and operating principles. As representatives of Colliers International argue, free movement around the building for a long time will be very limited. Another new practice will be the division of office space into zones where it will be possible to move. Many companies may also choose to partially or even completely disable some common areas with heavy traffic, such as canteens or kitchens. You can also set limits on the number of people staying in them or even recommendations that meals should be eaten at the desks.

Other common areas, such as reception desks, should be additionally equipped with plexiglass divisions, and the forwarding of parcels or other items should be made without contact. Also in the case of conference rooms, limits should be introduced for employees.

Colliers specialists note that an important element of security are procedures regarding the principles of cleanliness and disinfection of rooms. Surfaces such as countertops, tables, handles, photocopies and other office equipment must be frequently and regularly cleaned and disinfected. Not only the cleaning service but also the employees using them should be obliged to do so.

Recommended long-term solutions

Colliers experts recommend that the return to the office should take place in a systematic way and in accordance with the previously prepared plan and schedule. Individual companies, depending on their size, structure, industry and space should have internal procedures and operating principles.

Due to the fact that the coronavirus will probably stay with us for a long time, long-term solutions should be prepared that will enable work in new conditions. It is possible that many organizations will have to completely rearrange their offices. This means, for example, switching from open space models to the office format and the implementation of technological solutions that will help manage such space.

"We are already introducing such technology, both in our office and offer it to our clients. It is an application that allows, among others reservation of desks, conference rooms, finding colleagues in the office, reporting defects in the building, access to a virtual reception and many other functionalities. Such applications are our future, ”says Renata Hartle, manager of flex office strategy and technology solutions at Colliers.

Changing the approach to the work environment.

Although it will be possible to return to the offices, you should seriously consider whether to hurry with him. It should be remembered that a potential source of coronavirus infection can be not only the office, but also the path to it. So some employees can still stay in the home office mode, and those who need to return to the office should avoid public transport and use their own cars or change to a bicycle.

"One of the long-term effects of the current pandemic may be a change in approach to the work environment. The trend of functional polarization will be more pronounced, in which individual or demanding tasks will be performed more remotely, and the office space will primarily serve group work, maintaining relationships and building the coherence of organizational culture, "says Dorota Osiecka, director of Workplace Innovation at Colliers.

"We recommend building a spatial demand model that takes into account various scenarios for the scope of remote work. Potential functional optimization should take into account the specifics of the work of individual teams, so that the increased degree of virtualization of business relationships allows at the same time to maintain business efficiency, the coherence of organizational culture, employee involvement and healthy relationships in the team "- explains the expert.

Source: https://itwiz.pl/jak-bedzie-wygladala-nowa-rzeczywistosc--pracownikow-po-powrocie-biur/