Getting Staff back into the Workplace

Back in the Office. (Source – Unsplash)

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a mass exodus of employees from the workplace primarily to a ‘Working from Home’ (WFH) environment. For a variety of reasons, many staff have not yet fully returned to the workplace. Although there are some benefits of WFH, numerous employers believe having staff in the workplace promotes greater collaboration, more effective communication and improves the corporate culture.

This article will look into some of the considerations to increase employee willingness to return to the workplace.

Making a Safer and Healthier Workplace

First and foremost, providing a safer and healthier space will improve the confidence of staff to return to the workplace.

Businesses should have a COVID safety plan which includes issues such as:

Keeping staff, customers and the public as safe as practical;
Procedures for checking on, and providing support to, staff either personally suffering from COVID, or exposed to it within the home environment; and
Improving the air quality in the workplace – this article outlined some of the main considerations for providing a workspace with mitigations to decrease the likelihood for the transmission of COVID.

Keeping Sick People Out of the Workplace. Not allowing sick people to come to, or remain in, the workplace if they are feeling unwell or showing symptoms has a number of benefits. This practice has been implemented prior to the COVID pandemic by managers who recognise it is beneficial both to the employee in addition to other staff by not spreading colds, the flu and other transmissible diseases.

Additional considerations for the provision of a healthy workplace include:

Natural Light – A study found that office workers with windows at the workplace had more light exposure during the work week, a trend toward more physical activity and longer sleep duration.
Sit/Stand desks – “sitting is the new smoking”.
Green office – indoor greenery has been found to have a positive effect on productivity in addition to health and wellbeing. Extensive greenery such as green walls can also aid in the indoor air quality.
Quiet Areas – although improved social interaction is a major reason for returning to the workplace; at times there are requirements for privacy and quiet for calls and /or meetings.
Break out zones

Better break out zones

There is an increasing trend to make the break out zone the social hub of the workplace.

Break out zones have grown from (sometimes) dingy places where staff make a quick cup of coffee before returning to their cubicles, to larger multipurpose areas which facilitate collaboration throughout the day, after work team building events and promote improved social interaction.

Break Out Area designed and built by TKO Fitouts

Improved Social Interaction

Humans, most of us at least, are social animals. Workers tend to be happier and healthier when in a positive environment, hopefully with other likeminded people.

It has been observed that “Despite the comfort that working from home can bring, remote workers are susceptible to feeling disconnected and excluded, owing to the lack of face-to-face interaction and the casual ‘water-cooler’ talk that usually breaks up a normal working day and offers brief periods of respite and relaxation to staff.”(1)

Although WFH staff may spend a lot of their day interacting on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or similar, there is not the same level of connection when compared to in-person meetings. Online meeting software technical issues can further degrade effective communication and connection (2):

“I am not a cat” – Zoom Filter Mishap(Source)

Staff Consultation

Before spending time and resources on what managers consider to be workplace and work conditions improvements, it is recommended to ask the staff what they actually want. There are definitely moves towards more flexible working arrangements, working hours/days and other conditions; however, these may not always be practical for every business or for every employee.

Issues to discuss with employees may include:

Hours and days of work;
Working location;
Health and wellbeing considerations; and
Working Conditions.

Feed them, and they will come (3)

Studies in the USA have found improved staff attendance when food is provided. One company went to the extent of sourcing a different style of food (truck) for each day of the week. Finding a balance between what some people want to eat and promoting the health of staff can be a challenge:

Hybrid Work – combining the best elements of remote work with time in the office

There is increased desire by employees, and perhaps tacit acceptance by employers, for staff to have the opportunity for a hybrid work life – some days at work balanced with WFH.

A recent study from Latrobe University found many workers had difficulty with efficiency/productivity when WFH during the early stages of the pandemic. However, there were other issues at play at the start of the pandemic – lockdowns, difficulties shopping, requirement to cook and eat at home, children and spouses / partners also trying to work in a space which was not specifically designed for this purpose. Many of these factors are less significant now; children are back at school, many people now have dedicated work spaces in homes and partners may also be using hybrid working arrangements.

Hybrid work suits some business, professions and workers better than others and needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Taking it to the Extreme

Google is noted for having playful workspaces aimed at maximising worker creativity engagement, creativity and retention.

Google Developer Space in Singapore (Source)

The Mineral Resources facility in Osborne Park is perhaps the best example in Perth of a company looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff. Many of the health considerations reflect issues raised in previous TKO articles on health in the workplace; however, Mineral Resources have taken these issues to another level.

“Some of the state-of-the-art features include a fully subsidised café and restaurant, a commercial quality gym, a family zone for working parents, and a wellness centre providing medical and psychology services.” (4)

Mineral Resources’ 800 sqm Fitness Centre (Source)

Healthier Workplace Solutions

The TKO team can work with you to design and construct a healthier workplace which will encourage staff return and retention. Call us on 9347 1800 to discuss your requirements.

Other TKO articles relating to a healthier and more productive workplace:

References:

Getting Staff back into the Workplace

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