After COVID-19: returning to the workplace in a post-coronavirus world

According to Bill Gates, COVID-19 has permanently altered the way we work. And while we’re all doing our best to work remotely right now, what happens when it’s time to return to the workplace?

Sure, that transition may still be months away. But organizations who prepare now will be in a better position to help their employees return to work safely in a post-coronavirus world—whenever that may be.

Here are six of the most pressing COVID-19 workplace strategies that we believe facilities teams should start thinking about to make the return to work as safe and positive as possible.

1. Creating COVID-19 workplace guidelines

There’s no getting around this one. Organizations will need to create “coronavirus guidelines” that are specific and applicable to their physical facilities, workplace culture, and workplace practices.

These guidelines won’t just help employees once they’re back at work. They’ll act as the foundation for every decision an organization makes about health- and legal-risk mitigation in the workplace.

To create COVID-19 guidelines that are specific and applicable to your organization, start by referencing the COVID-19 guidelines set by your local public health authority. Examples include: 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The World Health Organization
• The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control
• Country-specific public health guidance

You might also benefit from referencing existing COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines before creating your own:

• WHO Guidelines: Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19
• California State University Guidelines: Social Distancing in Offices, Reception Areas, and Other Work Settings

Make sure the guidelines you set are clear, easy to follow, and easy to access.

We’ve included additional examples of COVID-19 workplace guidelines and strategies that you might want to introduce further below in this guide.

2. Tiered returns to the office

Staggering the return of employees will result in fewer employees in the workplace at any given time which, in turn, should make it easier for everyone to maintain social distancing. 

We also suspect that the first round of employees to return will “get the hang” of your workplace’s COVID-19 guidelines and set an example for any subsequent waves of returning employees.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you plan a tiered-return to the workplace that works for your organization: 

• Can you prioritize who returns first based on which teams need to be physically present to do their job?
• Can some of your employees sustain remote work without a significant impact to the company mission?
• Will seating assignments be different when employees return? How will you communicate this, so that employees can easily find their new desk?
• Do you have an online communication tool (e.g. Slack, Microsoft Teams) in place for employees to connect virtually?
• Who can employees reach out to with any COVID-19 related questions or concerns? (You could nominate a single person, or create a COVID-19 specific channel in Slack.)

3. Physical distancing in the workplace

Organizations will need signage and communication guidelines that encourage and enforce a six-foot (2 meter) physical distance between employees at all times.

Here are some of the strategies that facilities teams will need to consider to ensure physical distancing guidelines that complement their organization’s workplace culture and physical setup:

• Reconfiguring seating assignments so that work desks and common area seating are appropriately spaced out
• Reducing or limit available seating in large meeting rooms to ensure physical distancing can be practiced during group hangouts
• Helping employees conduct video-based team meetings by ensuring access to video conferencing software and dedicated meeting spaces
• Requiring a maximum of one employee per elevator
• Policies and signage that enforce social distancing in stairwells or tight spaces where employees may find it difficult to maintain a six-foot distance from one another

4. Seat people strategically

Before non-essential shutdowns became widespread, restaurants were the first to introduce “social distancing seating” by keeping every second table vacant on the restaurant floor. Some airlines were quick to follow, by eliminating middle seat availability on all flights.

Moving forward, employee seating in the workplace will need to adhere to physical distancing requirements. 

Physically moving desks apart, making certain shared desks unavailable, and splitting teams and departments across several different areas of the facility are some of the strategies that will come into play.

A school or an office is ultimately only as germ-free as the people in it. A complete disinfection can buy temporary peace of mind, but it’s no substitute for routine, ongoing cleaning.

— The Atlantic, America’s Coronavirus Deep-Cleaning Boom 

5. Increased cleaning and maintenance

Increased cleaning is everybody’s new normal. Global real estate firm Cushman and Wakeman has been using its concept, The 6-Feet Office, to help over 10,000 organizations in China move nearly one million people back to work.

And there’s growing speculation that hospital-grade cleaning practices, such as mandatory certifications for cleaning teams and electrostatic precipitation cleaning, may become the new standard for cleaning teams.

So how can facilities teams accommodate these new protocols in the workplace?

Improve indoor air quality to reduce COVID-19 exposure

WB Engineers and Consultants came up with a list of strategies for improving indoor air quality in the workplace that could reduce COVID-19 exposure. Here are some of the recommended short-term strategies that facilities teams are advised to consider:

• If possible, introduce Electrostatic Precipitation Cleaning, a hospital-grade cleaning process that sprays an electrostatically charged mist onto surfaces and objects that adheres to surfaces and objects
• Adjust dilution ventilation to increase the percentage of outdoor air being circulated inside the guilding (100% outdoor air is preferable)
• Prevent stagnant water by turning on faucets every 2-3 days
• Make any necessary adjustments to the HVAC system to ensure air quality is acceptable

To review these short-term and long-term guidelines in full, download a copy of Improving Indoor Air Quality to Reduce COVID-19 Exposure on the WB Engineers and Consultants website.

Given the seriousness of the situation, organizations should also arrange HVAC maintenance and cleaning to ensure air quality is acceptable and that equipment is maintained before employees return to the workplace.

Increase the frequency of workplace cleaning schedules

• Plan (and budget for) for an increased cleaning schedule in your office
• Before the return to work, check with your cleaning company to ensure they have the human and physical resources required to perform additional cleaning in your facilities (they may be busy or even unavailable due to heightened demand)

• Ensure that cleaning teams are paying extra attention to communal surfaces (doorknobs, elevator buttons, kitchen surfaces, fridge handles, etc) and adhering to the most up-to-date COVID-19 cleaning guidelines at all times

Ensure necessary supplies are readily available

• Increase the availability of cleaning supplies 
• Introduce hand sanitizer in high-traffic areas (doorways, elevators, kitchen) so people can sterilize their hands after touching communal surfaces
• Communicate the whereabouts of cleaning and sanitizing supplies on your virtual floor plan

This pandemic is a real eye-opener for everyone about how important best practices in cleaning and disinfecting are in healthcare and beyond. 

We need to train and certify cleaning professionals because this crisis is showing that frontline cleaning staff are essential. What they do matters and how they do it is important.

— Keith Sopha, Veteran Director of Environmental Services in Healthcare Settings, CTV News