Returning to the Office: COVID-19 Workplace Considerations

Coronavirus has gripped the world – and the workplace – for over half a year now. With everyone working

from home, it’s understandable that many will be nervous to return to their offices as lockdown continues to ease. 

In this article, we’ll cover key things to consider as a manager or business owner when returning to the office during COVID-19, and provide a handy checklist to make sure your workplace is ready to welcome staff back in safety and comfort.

Why is it important to make your workplace COVID-secure?

The truth is that COVID-19 is likely to be with us into the near-future, and so it’s essential that the way offices

and workplaces operate change to accommodate this. Getting the right measures, policies and design features in place now will make sure your office is as COVID-safe as it can be for the months and years to come. This way, staff can be working safely from the moment they return. 

Coronavirus Checklist for Offices

To help put your plans in place, here is a detailed checklist for reopening an office with coronavirus measures in mind. 

Design & Layout

• • Does the new layout or office design allow all workers to keep a 2m distance when working andwhentravelling through the office? 
  • Does a new one-way navigation system or similar need to be established to ensure walkways are safeand socially-distanced?
  • Do meeting rooms and break-out spaces need redesigning or reorganising to encourage collaboration, albeit at a safe distance?
  • Can screens or other shielding features be implemented into the office design, or used for areas more vulnerable to people-to-people contact e.g. reception desks?

• Have the required design or fit out features been arranged to support the new layout, such as new workstations, IT systems, new sectioning, wiring, electrical points, lighting, electrical station set up etc? You could take this as a chance to make your office COVID-safe long into the future, and so the services of aprofessional office design and fit out company, such as Ashlar Projects, can be very useful to safeguard the future of your office.

Hygiene & Cleanliness

• Has an office supply of hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes been considered? Can extra hand-washing stations be set up?
• Have plans been put in place to enhance the safety of communal office toilets – for example, a one-inone-out policy?
• Has a deep-clean been arranged in time for re-opening? And has a regular, thorough cleaning regime been created to keep the workplace hygienic? 
• Is there any way to limit or avoid the use of communal touchscreens/buttons etc, or provide hand sanitiser in areas where this is unavoidable?
• Have you discussed if any PPC is necessary for your workplace, based on the nature of the work, layout of the office and employee attitudes?

Access Control

• Do any screening measures need to be put in place to screen employees and visitors before entry to the workplace e.g. temperature screening? Research should be done if this avenue is pursued, as technology may not account for workers who are asymptomatic. 
• Has a plan been established to manage visitors, customers and deliveries to the workplace, with clear signage or direction supporting these plans? 

People & Communication

• Are you regularly consulting with employees to gauge their attitudes and feelings towards reopening and the new measures, and then implementing these opinions into plans? This is especially important if the government guidelines continue to alter in the future.
• Have you ensured that any new measures or ways of working have been clearly communicated to all staff? 
• Have signs/posters/guides explaining the new protocol been situated around the office in appropriate places?
• Has a phased approach been considered, whereby the workers are slowly introduced into the office bit by bit? How would this look?
• Has a plan to stagger shifts been devised to ensure adequate social distancing can be maintained? This may involve splitting the workforce into two or three groups and having them come in on alternating weeks. 
• Has mental health wellness been considered in the new office design e.g. plenty of natural light, plants, decent AC?

Who can help?

Protecting the health and safety of office staff lies with management/employers. It’s your duty to ease the worries of staff by making every effort to reduce the likelihood of contamination, and still provide a collaborative, enjoyable and efficient working space that enhances everyone’s safety. A professional office design and fit out company, such as Ashlar Projects, can work alongside you to ensure your office is COVID-safe for the future. 

Here at Ashlar, we design innovative spaces made for you. As a full-service commercial planning, design and fit out contractor, we can help recreate your office to adapt to the new world through COVID-safe design. Want to learn more? Simply get in touch with our friendly advisers today – we serve businesses across Nottingham and beyond.