Do you have a plan to reopen post-pandemic? Here’s how to prepare your workplace for a smooth transition back to the office.
COVID-19 has forced many companies to change how they do business overnight. When formulating a business plan for this new way of working, understanding how to implement technology strategies and digital infrastructure is key. Partnering with a digital infrastructure expert will ensure your space is enabled with proper measures, such as employee wellness screenings, space occupancy monitoring, contact tracing and more.
Organizations face a great deal of uncertainty about when and how they’ll emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. Implementing technology strategies and digital infrastructure is paramount. Technology is integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, and returning to work post-pandemic will be no different. In fact, technology is even more critical to day-to-day operations upon re-entry into the workspace. Understanding how the technology fits into the new real estate plan is imperative.
Technology single-handedly fosters work outside the physical office space. Robust cybersecurity and collaboration tools have empowered employees to be equally productive working remotely. As workplaces re-open, employers need to instill confidence that the workplace is safe.
There are countless tools designed to boost workplace safety, but the following are the most important for re-entry post-pandemic: employee wellness screenings, space occupancy monitoring and contact tracing.
Wellness Screenings
These can be as simple as a daily health survey. The survey and reporting platform allows for discreet communication and tracking of employee feedback. Temperature monitoring readers can screen employees when they enter the workplace and provide real-time alerts to notify employers of potentially symptomatic employees. They can even assess whether an employee is wearing a mask, if required. Further, temperature monitoring systems can be integrated with access control systems to be used in multi-factor authentication to access the workplace.
Space Occupancy Monitoring
This will be hugely impactful in helping employees navigate the office. These systems keep track of employee population to pinpoint less dense areas to maximize social distancing. For example, the employee can pull up the occupancy tracking app on their phone to see which break area, restroom or conference room has the most vacancy. At the end of the day, the maintenance staff is notified to begin cleaning. If the system identifies that a space was not used at all, then this area would not require cleaning.
While I see space occupancy monitoring systems being an integral tool in all office spaces, I specifically anticipate it being widely adopted in coworking spaces. Since the population in a coworking space always fluctuates, the data provided by the occupancy system will allow members to navigate the office with ease and confidence, especially in common areas.
Contact Tracing Bands
These are an easy and effective way to keep employees safe. When an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, you need to alert all employees who were potentially exposed. With contact tracing bands, this process is automatic. Utilizing Bluetooth technology, contact tracing bands keep track of all prolonged employee interactions within six feet. They even vibrate when the six-foot threshold is crossed. Most importantly, if a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, all employee interactions can be uploaded to the cloud platform to contact those who were potentially exposed.
There are probably some who think that their office space is spacious enough to forego these technology upgrades. While I agree that some spaces might be OK with enhanced distancing measures and extended remote work policies, it really all comes down to the value placed on safety. Employees will want to know that their work environment is safe. Technology allows companies to proactively prevent the spread of the virus and act swiftly if the virus enters the work-place. Employees will have the information to confidently navigate the office. After all, employee confidence will be the key to success.
When it comes to implementation, it is critical to work with a qualified consultant, who will help you identify the technologies that best apply to your work environment and help you create budgets to implement these solutions.
For companies with 100-plus employees, the following package might be a good starting point. At the very least, I would suggest that you install a temperature reader in your reception area. The reader can quickly screen employees to make sure no one has an elevated temperature and avoids necessitating a dedicated person to manually take employee temperatures. My own office has already implemented this as the preliminary measure in keeping our workplace safe.
Next, install occupancy monitoring sensors at the entry of each communal bathroom. While for larger organizations, occupancy monitors will be crucial throughout the entire space, in smaller offices, employees can assess if a space is crowded. That is not possible at a restroom. These sensors allow the occupancy monitoring platform to track the quantity of people in the restroom. Using a digital display or the platform app, the employee would know when it is safe to enter.
Technology solutions are, of course, all customizable to your business needs and goals, but generally speaking, this is a good starting point for companies of this size. Regardless of your business plan, it is important to have a clear scope upon entering the installation phase so that you receive exactly what you pay for. Lastly, you should implement soon so that your workplace is ready upon re-entry.
Kenneth Leon is director of digital infrastructure for Vestian, bringing 15 years of engineering and project management experience to the firm. He is a certified ICT engineer, holding the Registered Communications Distributions Designer (RCDD) credential.
