Open office, open mind
Post-pandemic workspaces require physical, mental space
Pia Patel says she works every day “surrounded by clutter” in her Chicago apartment.
But the 27-year-old marketing assistant says it’s her clutter, so she’s OK with it. “My books, my papers, my coffee cups,” she says.
But if she has to return to the office? “I don’t want to see a speck of dust,” she says. “I want it to be — as my mom says — ‘Nisha clean.’”
Nisha is Patel’s aunt. And from her description, quite the germaphobe. “But in a good way now,” says Patel. “Her house is like a doctor’s office. I feel like it’s germ-free.”
If there is one common thread running through all back-towork storylines, it’s that cleanliness is paramount.
“If you are looking to return to work with your employees, there needs to be more regimented cleaning and safety measures in place,” says Ethan Taub, CEO of Loanry, a financial services firm based in Newport Beach, Calif.
But even the cleanest office isn’t an invitation for employees to disregard established safety guidelines. “A lot of people likely rely on cleaning staff but this is both unfair to the staff and also very irresponsible. Being aware of your surroundings and making sure that you are being hygienic can protect you and your co-workers,” says Andrew Roderick, CEO of Credit Repair Companies in Phoenix, Arizona.
Holding the line
Although cleanliness and safety measures are important, it’s essential that there are competent people in place to enforce the basic guidelines of the post-COVID-19 workplace. “There should be a specific team dedicated to managing the logistics of returning to the office and these teams should include people from the leadership team,” says Dan Johnson, director of global business continuity and disaster recovery at Ensono, a hybrid IT services company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Johnson suggests companies enact the following measures: temperature checks, restrictions on conference rooms, closedoff break rooms, instructions for employees to eat at their desks, limitations on provided coffee and snacks to avoid large gatherings, face masks when interacting with other employees and daily deep cleaning of the office, among others.
If employees are working in a field that doesn’t provide them with personal space for meals, it’s important to make sure breaks are staggered “Not allowing everyone to go on break at the same time in the break room is also important. Work on a shift basis and allow two people maximum,” says Taub, who also suggests setting up outdoor space on facility grounds that can be used for breaks and meals.
Share the news
It’s also vital that employers let their employees know what’s being done to keep them safe and how often it’s being done. “When it comes to re-entering the workforce, the single biggest component to a successful transition is communication,” says Robert Moses, founder of The Corporate Connoisseur, an information resource for employees and companies. “[Employees] are, naturally, nervous and hesitant to re-enter the workplace, particularly if the work can be done successfully from home. However, in communicating timely, sound and frequent updates, we can stymie those concerns.”
Moses also points out that communication without action is ineffective and will make re-entry to the workplace more difficult. He suggests providing a comprehensive list of actionable items the employer is taking to minimize the risk of exposure, which should include an update on “the frequency of deep-cleaning occurring in the offices, a limit to internally held meetings and safeguards placed throughout the office to ensure compliance with adequate social distancing measures.”
A mindful return
Sheri Damon, a licensed mental health counselor and founder of The Foundation for Learning and Inspiring Health and Healing in Marshfield, Massachusetts, says employers must be prepared to deal with their workers’ mental well-being. Damon says. “Flexibility by employers is going to be essential. There was a shock to the system when we shut down and will be another shock to return,” Damon says.
To help ease that shock, Damon suggests employers take a mind-body-spirit approach to help employees decrease transitional stress and anxiety as well as promote wellness. “Employers should consider offering calm zones or rooms for mediation and sensory distractions from their new office normal,” she says. “Incorporating wellness workshops and guided meditations and encouraging a daily, socially-distanced stretch or exercise can also help.”
Part of helping ease the worries of employees and allowing them space to transition back into a physical office is asking for and reacting to feedback. Susan Robertson, an innovation strategist who has consulted numerous Fortune 500 companies, says companies must be prepared to realize a return to the workplace is no longer the norm. “There is a new workplace status quo and going back to the traditional in-person office setting upsets it. Employees have formed a new status quo bias where they see going back to the office as a riskier option,” Robertson says.
In many ways, companies can use their new environment to create new strengths. “To make the transition easier, leaders can hold a brainstorming session with employees to evaluate the pros and cons: What was working well when we were in the office? What about when we worked remotely? What didn’t work well in the office that we can change? What didn’t you like about working remotely?” Robertson says. “By engaging employees and thinking of ways to disrupt the status quo, your team can become more innovative.”