Workers and Workplace During Coronavirus

The WKspace WorldWide Research

I have been following the survey done by WKspace for a while now. They have focused all their attention now, during COVID-19 times, on research that would show how people around the world (full time employed!) have experienced the recent events and the way this crisis shaped them and changed their mentalities. About a month ago, when I joined their first seminar, they had 9500 people replying to this questionnaire - this week, Wednesday 6th of May 2020, I have joined their second seminar and the numbers have doubled! People want to share their opinions and are willing to show how this event has impacted their lives. People understand that by sharing their experiences, by sharing knowledge we can move forward and see The New Tomorrow in a different light! We cannot go back to the state before Coronavirus and we will have to settle in and see what the future civilization will look like!

Hannah Nardini lead this week's seminar called 'Has the novelty worn off?' and the deep dive into the information provided by the people that answered the survey was wonderful to look at. Some things came as an acknowledgment of what I knew or what I had expected to see but other points were a surprise for me too.

Some other points to be mentioned:

• 62% of people feel comfortable with using tech (GPS, Apps, AI, and cameras) to track movements and warn of possible contact with the virus
• 85% of people agree their workplace should have a “hygiene code of conduct”
• 85% of people agree that they should have a clear desk policy

Thoughts on Workplace and Workers during COVID-19

The outbreak of Coronavirus has spread and evolved rapidly. Many companies closed their doors permanently due to it, some are on stand-by and many have looked upon their way of working and changed the way they operate completely.

The exposure to COVID-19 comes as a risk to the worker and other persons at their workplace. Employers are frequently advised not only by the Government, media, or Health & Safety regulators, to make sure they implement suitable control measures in order to mitigate the risk. Public etiquette & hygiene practices have filled out the hallways and rooms /public spaces of the workplaces worldwide, no matter the industry.

People are scared to return to work amid the Coronavirus pandemic, so making sure both the employees and the employers know how to handle this comes first! As research from WKspace also pointed out, the construction industry is one of the most affected ones.

COVID-19 and Construction Industry

The Construction Industry is the least digitized industry - right on the same page as Agriculture. Due to the Coronavirus hitting the industry hard, "digitalization" is the buzzword of the day! This provides an opportunity for the construction companies not to be hit hard when a similar situation will come around. With the help of ERP solutions, that are cloud-based, the companies will be able to allow for automation and it will reduce the manual work of the employees. The solutions will come as single repositories where all data is stored and accessed from any location, at any given time (as long as there is a stable internet connection). Communication within the team will improve and when another case like this will hit... you will certainly be more prepared to handle the challenge, by working remotely and letting your projects run their course (not freezing them).

Let us ask ourselves the question: how can things be done better? how can we avoid such a situation, if it shall happen again? If the second wave of COVID-19 hits in, how will the workplace and my employees be affected? How can I make sure the company runs its "business as usual"? Do I have the necessary tools for my company and my team to win in the long run?