Preparing for a safe return to the workplace during COVID-19

Society is now accepting that social distancing is likely to play a large part in the foreseeable future. It’s vital that, as the nation begins to filter back into workplaces, businesses are preparing to take new measures to ensure the safety of their employees and visitors.

Decision-makers should carry out individual risk assessments beforehand to develop safeguarding measures for their space. For the most part, that means intensified cleaning regimes, social distancing enforcement and introducing signage to remind people of behavioural expectations. 

Here is a summary of recommended measures to ensure your workplace is COVID-19 secure.

Enhance cleaning

It’s always been important to maintain a clean workspace, however now more than ever this is essential. Sanitise communal touchpoints across your office often, and as an extra measure try to provide communal hand sanitisers where possible.

Remind your employees that they should wash hands regularly, especially upon arrival and before departing. As always, people should be washing their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.

Maintain social distancing

BizSpace centres benefit from communal breakout areas, which, under normal circumstances, are the perfect escape to the workday and double up as networking areas. If your workplace also has facilities like lounges and kitchens, ensure measures are in place to de-densify the space and help your people maintain a safe social distance.

Implement single occupancy measures at desks, booths and other work areas, and attempt to modify meeting rooms to provide more space for each person before they need to be utilised. Also, businesses can add ‘one in, one out’ policies for smaller facilities like lifts and postal rooms, and try to ensure there is no passing in corridors or on stairs.

If workers need to speak with others in the workplace, advise them to try calling in the first instance. Where this is not possible, or they cannot reach the individual, encourage social distancing when approaching others in person.

Increase communication

It’s necessary to install signage where possible to remind everyone in the office of your new safety guidelines. Signage can include informational posters, mats, stickers, roller banners and any other signs needed to outline the expectations clearly.

This signage can be placed where it will be most effective, like next to sinks, lift entrances and outside smaller facilities like postal rooms and toilets. Targeted placement means employees can see the sign and be reminded of the measures when it is needed most.

If any of your employees have visitors, the individuals should be informed of the measures before entering. It is in the interest of everyone at work to comply with safety guidelines. If someone does not follow the rules and puts others at risk, prepare to act with appropriate action, for example, a warning in the first instance and then removal from your office thereafter.

Favour flexibility

Businesses of all sizes are now seeking out more flexibility in the workplace. Whether companies are distancing employees and therefore need more space short-term, are avoiding town and city centres to stay safer, or do not want to be tied into long-term agreements in the current climate; flexibility is key. 

We are proud to work with almost 4,000 of Britain’s businesses who choose us because we place workspace flexibility at the heart of everything we do. To safeguard the companies BizSpace houses across the nation, we have created stringent guidelines comprising the above measures for both on-site employees and customers. 

As a commercial property provider, we are taking this action to keep our spaces and services safe – and we recommend those in control of their own office spaces do the same. While the situation continues to evolve, so will our safeguarding action plan, to uphold our duty of care.

“Part of BizSpace’s philosophy is ‘get in, get going’, which means we make finding a workplace easy so customers can better focus their efforts on the hard work that helps their business thrive. These roots remain at the heart of the work we’re doing to ensure our centres are COVID-19 secure. We’re devoted to implementing safety measures in line with government guidance and are communicating with customers and external firms to help them do the same. For almost 20 years, BizSpace has been a safe space for businesses, and we vow to keep it that way.” – Gareth Evans, CEO of BizSpace.