Both now and in the near future, it is now more important than ever to ensure that everyone is social distancing and following protective rules and guidelines that are set out. Although many employees and staff are still working from home in England, there are some essential workers who may still need to go into the office every week. If it is essential to be in the office, businesses can use a variety of methods, tools, and equipment, that can help to protect staff and help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Updating floor plans
In the wake of the pandemic, it is important to be sure that the recommended social distancing measures can still be adhered to inside your workplace. Spacing out desk spaces and creating one way systems can help to separate employees. Hot desking is now a thing of the past as it’s very important that employees are not sharing workspaces right now. Other useful tips for updating an office space includes marking out areas around the office space with tape or signs so that employees can be sure they are remaining a safe distance apart as they work.
Installing protective office screens
Keeping employees at a safe distance from one another, whilst still being able to communicate effectively, is a critical consideration when planning your office space in line with Covid-19 safety recommendations. Protective screens can help add another protective barrier between employees indoors and are available in a variety of materials and styles to suit different types of workspaces. Businesses sell a range of floor standing screens and desk top screens and dividers that can help businesses section desks and workspaces in the office.
Establish restricted office shifts and rotas
Right now, it’s unclear what the future of the office and the working day will look like for 2021, as Southern Office Furniture points out in their article How Could Covid-19 Change Office Design, but the normal 9-5, 5-day work week may not be coming back anytime soon. At the moment, if it’s possible, it’s useful for businesses to only have essential employees working in the office at one time during the pandemic. If going into the office is unnecessary, then it’s important to stay at home rather than going into the office. For those who need to go in, businesses can reduce staff numbers in the office if possible so that the office space only has a limited number of people in at one time. This ensures that those who are in the office can properly social distance and keep out of the way of other workers who are in as well.
Introduce hand sanitising stations
Washing hands regularly is essential in the fight to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and it is also good practice for good health in general. Installing hand sanitiser stations around your workplace is a great idea, with many hand sanitiser stations able to dispense via a sensor without needing any hand contact at all. Hand sanitiser stations can be put almost anywhere, but next to doors and other high traffic areas are good places, reminding people to clean their hands often even if it is not possible to wash them frequently in a sink.
Cleaning your workplace regularly is also very important, especially to be sure that all surfaces are wiped down frequently, along with any shared items too. For every business to operate efficiently and safely at the moment, there should also be clear guidance in place for cleaning shared areas and maintaining good hygiene and social distancing while working in the office during the pandemic.