From a practical point of view:

Adhering to the 2m distancing rules will mean changes – space planning and risk assessments will be utilised to best mark out a new desk layout and it is likely not all staff will be able to use the space once partitioned.
The current office occupancy is at 10-15% and is expected to rise to 30% by the end of the year giving plenty of time to adapt and adjust requirements. Though 30% may seem low, previous office occupancy was an average of 47% so there may be spare space in the office to be utilised more effectively.

PPE and office adjustments

While most businesses are using hazard tape to cordon space and providing guidance for using shared spaces such as corridors and toilets, other measures are quite polarised between companies.

Some are utilising PPE fully, using Perspex partitions between desks, others insisting on facemasks being worn and even taking staff temperature checks on entry to the building to look for undetected signs of COVID-19. A handful of employers have been considering more inventive ways of ensuring social distancing can be adhered to within the workplace, for example wristbands which vibrate when employees come within six feet of each other.

Others are taking a more person-centric approach and prioritising the worker experience, keeping to health and safety rules while keeping things as similar as possible to the environment people worked in previously.

The World Health Organisation has said that masks present no protection against COVID-19 and should be reserved for healthcare workers, but some individuals feel more reassured wearing them. There is also potential for discrepancy around the use of temperature checks, for example those who have walked/jogged to work may have raised body temperatures as could any staff going through the menopause – how will these variations be handled and accounted for?

While stringent PPE measures may make some feel safe and certainly tick a box health and safety wise, they may make others feel anxious walking into a clinical environment very unlike the one they left. A recent survey suggests the majority of people have said they would not wear facemasks if they were provided, could this just be an extra cost to businesses if they’re not going to be utilised? Equally should employers fail to make many changes, staff coming back to the environment may feel the employer is not looking after their welfare.

The advice is to gauge the feelings of staff, find out how they would like to see the office on their return, and as much as possible tailor the implementation of any measures. This way individuals feel consulted, expectations are managed and employees feel as safe and comfortable as possible.

A wise move is to invest in social distancing kit which will be used by the business moving forward and be in an investment rather than in 6 months sitting in a store cupboard. Invest with the future in mind rather than as a reaction to COVID-19. Tying current purchases and procedures into long term carbon reduction and sustainability plans is also ideal. Contactless entry systems using lanyards for example not only reduces touch points but increases security for building access and acts as a signing in sheet for who is in the building; so should someone who has been in the office show Covid-19 symptoms it is easy to trace who they may have come into contact with that day to advise they self-isolate.

In terms of desk management, some companies are planning to keep desk spaces dedicated to staff but alternate which days people come in to adhere to distancing guidelines. Other businesses are making hot desks which are bookable in time slots - e.g. ½ day or full day. This may be a more practical solution for larger businesses and again will act as a traceability log should it be required if symptoms are reported.
Procedures should be put in place for employees to report if they are ill or at particular risk of infection; inform them of the steps they should then take and ensure appropriate procedures for sending employees home. COVID-19 is still a real threat and any possible symptoms should be reported immediately leading to self-isolation for the individual and those with any contact to avoid further spread.

Cleaning and shared spaces

Mixed use spaces are going to need deep cleaning much more regularly and so cleaning costs are due to rise. Should a desk booking policy be used then this will increase cleaning costs further with desks needing a deep clean between users - this may warrant employing staff full time to clean in order to efficiently turn round workspaces. It has been reported by some think tanks that cleaning costs may increase x10 fold.
Shared kitchens and toilets are also a concern, needing new rules to entry and usage with much stricter cleaning regimes. It is again up to the employer to partition and regulate these spaces based on risk assessments. To reduce kitchen usage, employers could provide coffee machines rather than kettles to reduce contact points. Employees could be provided/encouraged to use cool bags to bring in their lunches instead of buying or using a shared fridge. This would reduce kitchen use and also minimise staff needing to leave the building to purchase food, avoiding further exposure to populated areas. Small measures like this will all add up.

Policing social distancing

Once the distancing measures are in place – how will these be enforced? Some businesses are policing the measures while others are providing the right environment and leaving it to the staff to adhere to the rules.

It is hoped that companies will create cultures where staff will want to comply, however what should an employee do if they have a colleague breaching the measures? ACAS have advised staff to speak to their line managers in the first instance and have some training in place for managers to know how to handle and address these new issues.

Given that there is no precedent, how should an employer ‘reprimand’ a group of employees who gather for a coffee in the office? Companies should create clear disciplinary procedures on these points and any sanctions imposed should be proportionate and consistent across the workforce.

ACAS states that it expects a rise in employment disputes between employees who don't feel safe at work and employers who argue that their roles can only be done on-site.

The government says if employees remain unhappy with the social distancing in place at work, they should report it to their local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can force an employer to take further action.

From a wellbeing point of view:

Individual Risk Assessments

According to a recent YouGov survey, only 1 in 4 workers want to go back to the office full time. The return to work message from businesses to employees needs to be friendly - there is still heightened anxiety about the COVID-19 risk and populated spaces. Flexibility is key and how staff are treated during this time will determine their alignment to company values and loyalty moving forward.

To decide who comes back to work, individual risk assessments need to be made for each person. This will cover things such as their need to be in the office, ability to commute safely, childcare requirements, mental health impact (the isolation of home working vs anxiety of communal working) to name a few. The responsibility of the employer doesn’t end at the office door, so a holistic assessment needs to be done. It may be worthwhile having risk-assessment refresher training at this time, so all relevant staff have the skills needed for this task.

Monitoring staff for potential mental health issues

Pressure should not be placed on staff to rush back, ensure there is someone within the business they can talk to. Having mental first aiders or occupational health is vital, as is the need to be active during this time and checking in with staff to monitor wellbeing. Other countries have seen rises in staff mental health issues following COVID-19 - in China a recent return to work study showed 10.8% of survey respondent were suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after returning to work owing to their experiences during the pandemic so mental health needs to be top of employers agendas. The psychological effects of returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown.

When assessing staff for their return to work, ask them ‘do you feel safe to return to work?’ It may not just be the office that is an issue for people – there is a lot of anxiety about the journey to work, especially surrounding public transport.

Lessons learned from home working show that for the majority of businesses, working from home has either maintained the same output of productivity or in some cases increased output due to less distractions from the workplace. What has been lacking however is the social interaction from the workplace, informal collaborations and information sharing as well as casual catch ups and bonding chats with colleagues.

Do I have to go back to the office?

Employment law expert Simon Rice-Birchall, from Eversheds Sutherland, thinks it would be difficult for an employer to force people to return to an office if they have shown that they can do their job from home. At the moment, government advice to work from home effectively overrides the content of most employment contracts, which require us to go to work.

However, should your job be something you cannot do from home, employees will not be entitled to sick pay if they choose to stay at home because they are worried about contracting the virus.

David D'Souza from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says his organisation has been told about employers forcing people to work. "That is of huge concern in terms of people's physical and mental wellbeing. Whilst it’s understandable that organisations are trying to sustain themselves, doing that by having people working under conditions of duress is not what you would want to see in a modern economy… any return to work should only be done if these criteria can be met: It's necessary, it's safe, and it's mutually agreed".

How we treat our staff now will impact their feelings about the business and ultimately their loyalty and longevity with the company – taking an unpopular stance may result in a significant staff turnover either now or in a few months so long-term effects are to be considered.

In summary:

Many are asking what the workplace of the future will look like. Global businesses such as Facebook and Google have asked staff to work from home until the end of the year so there isn’t going to be an automatic switch back to office usage. It’s impossible to know what the workplace will look like in 2, 6 or 12 months – being adaptable to situations and continuing to re-visit and update risk assessments is key.
The office should be a welcoming environment, but equally home working is set to be a big part of our lives from now on. The goal should be for the office to become a destination people want to go to, not have to work from.

300 NORTH - THE EXPERTS IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT RECRUITMENT, DELIVERING THE BEST PEOPLE HASSLE FREE.

WE BELIEVE IN BEING A PEOPLE BUSINESS THAT ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT PEOPLE.

GET IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR RECRUITMENT NEEDS BY VISITING THE 300 NORTH WEBSITE OR CALLING 0113 336 5161.