COVID-19 has not only shaped the people of our nation, but it has shaped the future of our nation as a whole. One of the biggest things that we will have to learn to deal with in this “new normal” is how precisely the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic will affect the workplace as employees start to re-enter their old workplaces.
How COVID-19 is Impacting Businesses & Office Design
What to Expect
Here, we will be exploring some of the top effects that may very likely be implemented in your workplace, if they haven’t been already, and why such changes are of the utmost importance in order to keep workers safe and prevent the future spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.
Social distancing will, of course, remain in effect even after the “safe-at-home” quarantine has been lifted. With keeping that thought in mind, many employers are going to have to consider their office-space layout in order to better be able to determine if it is suitable in its current state to be able to safely allow their employees to do their jobs safely and efficiently. If it is not safe and suitable to practice social distancing, employers need to do some research on what needs to be done in order to make it safe.
What Should Be Done?
As previously noted, social distancing is a must in order for workers to be able to do their jobs safely and efficiently. As an employer, you will need to ensure that proper precautions are taken in your office or another workplace in order to prevent the spread of harmful viruses and bacteria.
Conference rooms and workspaces will need to be rearranged to ensure that employees can safely meet and work 6’ apart.
Bathroom and break room regulations will have to be set up and enforced so that employees can be able to properly and safely use facilities.
Even hallways, elevators, and other areas of high travel will have to be regulated in order to ensure that employees and guests have ample space to pass by each other to get to the area where they are needed.
Plexiglass sneeze guards and barriers will need to be installed, particularly in the front office where outside guests come in.
Personal items like coffee mugs, office utensils, and computers should never be shared, and that needs to be considered by the employer as well.
If employees share an office, schedules may need to be changed if the employees are in too close proximity to each other.
Who is Most Affected?
Businesses, offices, schools, call centers, etc will be the most highly affected by these effects of the aftermath of COVID-19. These areas often are designed to have collaborative and shared work areas, and those spaces are at an increased risk of spreading bacteria and viruses to others.
No matter where you work, you are going to want to be sure that proper measures are taken in order to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses in the office building.
Regardless of the size of your office space, there are a number of very helpful protective items that you can invest in, along with endless layout ideas that you can implement for the overall safety of yourself and your employees.
