What Does a Safe Post-COVID Office Look Like?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses were forced to send their workers home and shift to a remote office business model. However, as restrictions loosen, companies have been making the gradual move to reopen their doors and bring employees back to their in-office desks again. But what does a post-COVID office look like? Social distancing, safe office capacities and contact tracing present some of the challenges organizations will face as they return to the office. However, using both innovative software and hardware, companies can maximize both safety and productivity in the post-COVID workplace.
The process of providing a safe workplace in the presence of a pandemic can be broken down in to two general categories: prevention and detection. Prevention refers to the idea of preventing the spread of the virus between co-workers within an organization. This is accomplished using the methods of social distancing, reducing number of people within a given space, cleanliness and personal protective equipment. While things like divisions between workplaces and face coverings are essential; it’s important to note the vital role technology can play in the fight against an outbreak. Undoubtedly, in order to keep social distancing viable, many companies will not be able to return their full workforce to the office at one time. Therefore, a staggered or alternating workplan is being implemented in many offices.
The New Safe Office
This means that employees that continuing to work from home will need to interact seamlessly with their in-office counterparts. By using programs such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Planner, Zoom and many others, a viable and highly functional hybrid workplace can be accomplished. Moreover, by updating your office’s audio/visual capacities larger meetings need not be compromised. Even with employees in the office, it is unlikely that large board meetings could safely be conducted in one room. Therefore, even staff at the office may have to participate in meetings in multiple locations. Utilizing the latest technologies, said meetings, as well as other in-office communication, can be accomplished effectively, easily and without the need to compromise safety.
The second aspect of managing the post-COVID office space is detection. Detection refers to the ability to monitor the health status of an organization’s employees and create an effective path to deal with any negative changes. Multiple new programs have been developed or altered in order to allow employees to easily report their health status and respond swiftly if a staff member falls ill. Using these programs, both management and workers can feel safe and comfortable knowing their fellow colleagues are healthy and rest assured that if they have come into contact with a potentially sick individual, they will be notified.
How Microserve Can Help With Your Safe Office Plan
The post-COVID office space is unchartered territory. Many unexpected challenges will surely arise and need to be dealt with to ensure the safety and productivity of your team. At Microserve, we can help you utilize the best advances in technological solutions to ensure your company is fully equipped and prepared to combat the upcoming obstacles of returning to the office. With a proven track-record of creating custom, tailor-made technological solutions for our clients, we are confident we can make your transition back to the office safer, more productive and easier. Contact us if you would like to learn more.
