This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
As the world slowly emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that have suffered severe outbreaks are seeing infection rates level off. With lockdowns and widespread restrictions on movement taking effect, experts are now looking at what measures need to be put in place to allow industry to safely restart over the coming months.
One area that will come under particular scrutiny is the office workplace, where social distancing measures are often difficult to maintain. Workers are often in close proximity to each other, for instance in lifts, passing through corridors, or at coworking desks.
According to KOFISI CEO, Michael Aldridge, there will need to be a complete redesign of some office areas to ensure safety and provide enough space for workers to collaborate in other ways. This includes combining private offices or enclosed work zones with larger desks in shared working areas where there's more control over who workers interact with.
Other safety measures suggested by the industry include increasing the size of desks, using disposable paper placemats, installing air filtration and ventilation systems, and zoning areas to make it easier to social distance. Improving SMART technology to limit the need for touching the building and tracking employees' movements to notify them when the 6-feet rule is breached are also being considered.
However, these improvements come at a cost to landlords, office providers, and end-users, which may be difficult to stomach in the current economic climate. Michael Aldridge firmly believes that despite current challenges, businesses will still need office space in the future.
"To meet clients and to affirm or share ideas requires a formal work environment," he says. "Technology has made home working easier and remote meetings possible, but like home schooling, you miss out on all the benefits a specialised environment provides."
He believes the pandemic will bring about an acceptance for a more blended way of working, allowing clients to work from home a couple of days a week, whilst also having access to KOFISI's office facilities.
Equally, he says that a flexible office licence is more appealing financially during uncertain times because they allow for agility. Businesses aren't tied to traditional long-term leases with additional operating costs in an unreliable economy.
