Is your office space Covid-19 secure? and fit for next year?

As the UK and London office occupiers try to contain the pandemic and return to some normality, businesses have been asked to ensure they can provide a ‘Covid-secure workplace’.

Earlier this year the decision to return to the office was moved into the employers’ hands, so long as staff can work safely in a Covid-secure workplace. What is a Covid-secure office we ask?  

In offering employers more discretion around how their staff can work safely, Prime Minister Boris Johnson explained: “That could mean continuing to work from home…or it could mean making workplaces safe by following Covid-secure guidelines”. We think it will be a combination and for many months yet.

Despite the new national lockdown which came into place on Guy Fawkes Day, the guidance around Covid-secure workplaces will continue to be crucial once businesses will return to their offices.

The offices as we once knew it will be a little different.  According to The Health and Safety Executive, Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety, creating a Covid-secure workplace will need to involve the following: 

• Conducting risk assessments 
• Allowing social distancing to take place
• Implementing cleaning, hygiene and handwashing protocols
• Talking to employees about these changes

The HSE also outlines guidance on working from home, such as speaking to your employees about their wellbeing, and providing the right equipment where needed so that they can effectively work remotely.

We think: less personalised/cellular "my space" and less intensively occupied, less fixed 5 day working, coupled with more meetings-based facilities including Zoom between collaborating distanced workers on-site and remote-site based.

2021 will be interesting!