There is no going back from the current work reality. The crisis has put us in a reset mode. In the unlock phase, the workplace will be a combination of virtual and physical set-up with a part of the workforce in the offices while the others work from home.
Work from home is the new normal that organizations have already adapted to through digital transformation. However, a few types of organizations or a few priority functions are required to be present at work.
The biggest concerns that organizations face are providing a healthy and safe workplace at offices and enabling efficient workspace for the people who work from home. Here are a few ideas that will help your organization to manage these concerns.
Offices have become an empty arena with a few employees working at the site. Yet it is critical to ensure that those few employees get a safe workspace set-up in adherence to “The 6-feet Rule”.
Cushman & Wakefield took this rule a step ahead and defined the 6-Feet Office Concept Guideline with the following 6 Elements:
(Reference: Six Feet Office published by Cushman & Wakefield)
Your organization must implement such detailed guidelines to enable a healthy work environment for all employees. That will give them a better sense of comfort and reduce anxiety amid this pandemic.
Owing to the pandemic, the conference room is one place that employees dread being at since it offers little personal space or protection from others. Yet, a few organizations require their employees to attend such meetings occasionally at their workplace.
A redesign of your conference space will enable a great office meeting experience. Reducing seating density and replacing the long desks with smaller individual desks will be required, as shown above.
Clear air circulation is another factor that impacts the wellbeing of your employees. Moving the entryway to the centre of the conference room will address that. Also, all these spaces will require constant cleaning to keep the place clear of any potential virus and curb transmission at work.
Home offices will continue to play an integral role in the future of the workplace. Making space at home and ensuring no noise for virtual meetings during the new work from home situation isn’t practical considering the space constraints that most employees at metro cities face.
However, a few changes to their workspace will help enable a great virtual meeting space at home. Creating a physical boundary for your workspace is the most important part to ensure a peaceful virtual meeting experience at home. Using acoustic room dividers or desk privacy panels around your WFH desks could cut out the surrounding noise drastically and complement your favourite noise-cancelling headphones to give you that conference room experience at home.
Getting up and dressed to go to work used to prepare us mentally to have an exciting and productive workday. However, the current situation has made this simple pre-pandemic routine a distant reality.
Similarly, having a workspace that gives you the feel of working in the office will help you become extra-productive. Most of us have delayed the decision of having a dedicated workspace since we presumed that the lockdown would end soon. But though the rules are relaxed, most organizations insist that employees work from home, which implies that being back at offices will take a little longer.
Hence, you should make that decision and ensure that you have a great workspace at home to avoid long-term impact on your health due to challenges such as poor posture. It will also give you a sense of being back at work which will enhance your productivity and efficiency.
The next normal for most organizations is a well-balanced work from home and work at office scenarios. Supporting employees transition into this next normal amid their never-ending struggle will go a long way in facilitating employee satisfaction and performance.
Atmosphere is a brand created solely for the purpose of enabling comfortable working conditions for employees. Explore our atmosphere website to find ways or ideas to adapt to the next normal for your employees and yourself who work at home or in your offices.
