Dawn Hardman, Director of HR, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
We’re now into our 7th week of lockdown since the measures were introduced, and currently have no firm decision regarding when restrictions will be eased, although news on this is imminent. It does seem a while since we were all thrown into chaos, suddenly having to re-organise our operations and workforce to take us into lockdown and in turn, completely different ways of working, managing, communicating and engaging. We had minimal, if no time to think and plan, we just had to do it. But do it we did and surprisingly we are adapting and continue to adapt to these new very different ways of working.
One thing is certain though – at some point there will be an easing of current restrictions and businesses will then be focusing on how they can transition their operations and people back into our new ‘normal’. We are starting to leave our acceptance phase and are now moving into our restart and recovery stage. This again will undoubtedly present new challenges. The first being that at the moment we’re not sure what the new ‘normal’ will be. Again, employers will need to be creative, innovative and mindful of the impact these changes will bring to businesses and individuals.
What is different this time is that we do have a definite advantage in that we are able now to think and plan. We can think about what we might need do and how we can do it. Planning now will help to ensure a much smoother transition into the workplace post lockdown and we should be taking advantage of the lead in time that we have.
What is certain (well, as certain as it can be in times when things are constantly changing) is that some form of social distancing will remain. This is one of the key areas to think about now. We do not yet know how what types of restrictions will remain but remain they will for a period of time. Formal communications and guidance from the government and public health will help our plans immensely and this information is expected soon but, for now, the following may be useful.
Measures for social distancing – what can be done?
Actually, quite a lot!
Phased returns to work: Introducing staff back into the workplace using a phased approach might be sensible.
The phased approach could be a combination of:
- Staggering return to work dates, some employees remaining remote workers for a period of time
- Alternating time spent in the workplace (2 days in/3 days out for example)
- Consider a move to making to permanent/contractual homeworking for some
- For those who are back in the workplace, staggering start/finish and lunch/break times to avoid gatherings at entrances/exists, smoking shelters, staff rooms etc. In fact, all communal areas, including staircases and lifts, will need special arrangements to restrict numbers at any one time.
- Restricting the number of face to face meetings which take place (we are now all “virtual” experts so a chance to put these new found skills into operation!) and restricting the number of people at those meetings, ensuring that meeting rooms are large enough to enable attendees to social distance
- What PPE will be required – will it be available in order to enable employees to return to work? What will be the lead in time on delivery?
This approach will obviously create more space in the workplace and therefore easier for employees to maintain social distancing. Employers will need to communicate their own guidelines to employees once the policies have been established and will also need to ensure that monitoring is taking place to evaluate whether the policies are being adhered to and are working. It may be worth giving some serious thought now about which of our teams might be first or last to return so that there is a plan allowing managers and teams to prepare accordingly.
Re-Organisation and management of workplace and workstations
To ensure social distancing is practicable, some re-designing of the work environment might be necessary. A review should take place regarding how workstations are arranged. For example, closing down certain banks of desks or workstations and increasing spaces between others. This is particularly the case with any hot desking arrangements.These areas would be high risk due to the numbers and frequent change of people using them. Difficulties in maintaining hygiene throughout the day might present challenges too in the case of hot desking arrangements thereby increasing risk of infection.
Welfare/Hygiene
A review of current welfare provision and cleaning arrangements would be advisable. A more thorough and more frequent cleaning regime may be appropriate to reduce contamination and risk of infection and this will need to be in place from the outset. Increased provision of hand sanitisers, soap, bins (for used tissues) can be planned for and purchased now. An early discussion with your cleaning providers will ensure that regimes are agreed that the appropriate resource is available to meet demand.
It is likely that some general maintenance, inspections and servicing of equipment may not have been kept up-to-date whilst premises have been in lockdown. Think about lifts, air conditioning systems, plant and machinery. Again, a review can take place now to ensure that arrangements are made and that checks are brought up-to-date as a priority post lockdown to meet statutory requirements and ensure a safe working environment.
Visitors and Contractors
Will new policies and arrangements need to be put in place? Probably. As with meetings, it may be appropriate to restrict the number of visitors at any one time to the workplace. Any existing contractor management programs will need to reviewed to take into account social distancing requirements. In addition, both visitors and contractors will undoubtedly want to know how what steps have been put in place to protect them so information should be available and communicated.
Our people
As we know, people remain the heart of every business and everyone will have been through their own journey during lockdown. It is important to look after environmental needs and ensure that workplace is a safe place to be. But we also need to carefully consider the impact that the lockdown has had on our employees, both emotionally and mentally, and how they might cope with their transition back into the workplace.
This will be particularly true for those who have been on furlough. For some, this may have been an extended period of time and, as the rules of furlough deemed that no contact (apart from welfare) could be allowed, some employees may be nervous about their return, not really knowing what to expect. For example, they may be anxious about their longer term future, whether their role will have changed, what organisational news might they have missed. Employers can do a lot to help with this transition. A form of post lockdown induction must be factored in; providing an opportunity to talk about changes within the organisation, anything which has been implemented in their absence and why, any changes to the workforce, new policies and procedures. There will probably be a very long list!
For those not on furlough, there may be some who have genuinely struggled when working remotely and their mental health may have suffered as a result. Some may be very concerned about how they will cope transitioning back into the workplace. It is important to be sympathetic and work with individuals to understand the nature of their concerns and what might help with their mental health and wellbeing during the period of transition. MIND’s Wellness Action Plan is an excellent way to do this, ensuring that conversations take place and approaches may be agreed.
Health, safety and wellbeing
Finally, but most importantly, is a review of current health and safety programs in light of the new hazards we are faced with due to Covid-19. Health and safety will underpin most, if not all, of the actions we will take. Health and safety is, of course, everyone’s responsibility but it will be important to have the right leadership in place to really drive and implement changes to how we work. The leadership team must keep up-to-date with the latest Covid-19 health advice so that the business is able to react and manage accordingly, ensuring the correct controls are in place (and enforced) to minimise risk of infection.
Through a formal risk assessment program, the new hazards that have arisen associated with Covid-19, must be identified, assessed, evaluated and adequately controlled to ensure the safest environment possible. Ensuring that risk assessments are updated as and when new information becomes available to us about the virus is essential.
As well as the risk assessment program, employers should be encouraged to take a more health focussed approach. There should be an increased focus on managing sickness, knowing when it is appropriate for example to send people home if presenting with certain symptoms, enforcing self-isolation and ultimately managing a return to work. Raising awareness of the symptoms of Covid-19 and how to minimise the risk of infection should continue to remain high profile, reinforcing key messages and ensuring controls are maintained.
Conclusion
We continue to operate in challenging and unprecedented times, but what we have available to us currently is some time to really think about the re-awakening of our businesses and formulating our plans to help with the transition to the new ‘normal’.
We are having to focus our attention on areas that we had not even imagined we would need to a few months ago. But with appropriate and thoughtful planning, we can make a big difference to how we effectively manage our return to our new world of work after Covid-19.
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