Last week, the CDC eased its mask guidelines and now advises that fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks and social distancing, except in certain environments and under specific conditions where extra precautions are necessary. We are turning a corner in the fight against the pandemic, but the world we’re entering is likely to be different than the one last March before everything shut down.
Every workplace is different, and the pandemic’s impact will vary. Depending on the industry and state and local restrictions, some facilities will be opening up soon for the first time in over a year. Others have remained open throughout. But there’s no question that the world has changed. Many of us work differently now. We have evolving expectations of what the workplace is and how our environment can support our performance.
What will facility management look like in a post-COVID world? It’s still early to be sure of anything, but we have evidence of some things that are likely to come.
Employees Want to Be Safe and Healthy
Even if COVID-19 is ever completely eradicated, people have spent over a year focusing on social distancing and cleanliness to limit the spread of the virus. According to a recent survey conducted by Harvard Business School Online, people engaged in healthier habits while working remotely that they’ll carry forward post-pandemic. 59% said they made their health a priority, 44% said they exercised more, and a whopping 68% reported spending more time with their pets.
The survey also found that many are reluctant to go back until they know it’ll be safe to work in an office with other people. 71% said they were hesitant to go back to the office until their co-workers were completely vaccinated. When they do return to the office, 54% said they wanted social distancing and masking to continue.
We will go over some strategies in the next section on how to create a safe and healthy working environment, but we would recommend, first and foremost, to review your cleaning program as this will be so crucial to reducing the spread of viruses and other pathogens and encouraging workers to feel safe in the office.
Your janitorial team will be your best advocates for showing that you are doing everything possible to create a safe and healthy work environment.
Merging Office and Work from Home Environments
Some employees will choose to be remote if possible because there are inherent benefits from staying at home. You don’t have to commute to your home office, you can save money on babysitters and dog walkers, and you have more control over your environment.
Other employees will opt to work at the office because of distractions at home or because they simply like going to work in an office where they see their co-workers and have access to the equipment and tech they need to perform their jobs effectively.
The most successful organizations post-COVID could be the ones that accept both or create a hybrid schedule where employees work some days in the office and some at home. 81% of the people surveyed by Harvard Business School Online indicated that they would support a hybrid schedule moving forward that gives them more flexibility.
Organizations have many options to facilitate a hybrid schedule and create a safer and healthier facility environment for working. According to Facility Executive, here are some strategies they can implement to support their employees, wherever they happen to be working:
- Deploy connective technology throughout the facility that allows workers in the office and at home to communicate and collaborate effectively in meetings and breakout sessions.
- Safeguard collaborative areas by spacing out chairs and tables so workers can safely social distance.
- Support health by bringing in healthy food options, developing an ergonomics strategy to implement throughout the workplace, installing exercise equipment or providing a gym membership voucher for remote employees, and encouraging employees to take breaks as they need them.
- Make it easy for people to move around safely by optimizing space use and wayfinding. Directional traffic is an easy way to reduce jamming and improve circulation through and around the facility. If possible, widening aisles, adding partitions, and broadening staircases can help workers distance as they walk through the facility.
- Rethink the personal workstation for employees who only come to the office part of the time. It might not make sense to assign an employee their own workstation if they only come to the office once or twice a week. You might find a better way to adjust your office layout where you are maximizing your space and still supporting employees when and if they do come to the office.
Organizations have a unique opportunity to reinvent the workplace and strengthen collaboration while enhancing wellbeing. In addition to the strategies above, technology can play a huge factor in this. Everything from installing dynamic glass to increase natural light, to using integrated apps that manage visitors, room occupancy, cleaning schedules, and incident reporting should all be on the table.
Do You Need a Facility Services Partner to Support Your Post-COVID Initiatives?
Creating a whole new environment to support your employees will not be easy, but there is help available if you need it. The right facility services partner can provide you with the necessary expertise to implement these changes. From developing a cleaning and maintenance program that keeps everyone safe, to installing and managing technologies that boost health and productivity, a facility services provider can help you transform your post-pandemic workplace.
At Berman, we are a forward-thinking company committed to helping organizations emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever. We are a full-service provider, which means we can handle everything from cleaning services to managing your entire facility. If you have a goal to create the best working environment where your workers can feel safe and healthy, we would love to help you turn it into reality.
Let’s get started moving into the post-COVID world!