Back to work: How can we reopen our workplaces safely?

The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the world of work. As lockdowns lift and we begin to return to workplaces, businesses across the globe are all facing the same question: how can we safely re-open our offices and workplaces? 

In a new series of practical guidance for senior business leaders and commercial real estate teams, Mace’s Operate division has published a series of guides. Each guide explores a different aspect of the challenge. 

Each guide will be published on this page, available for download. We will be publishing a new edition each week – watch this space! 

Prepare your building 

Over the next few weeks and months, commercial buildings around the world will see teams re-occupy workspaces, where changes will need to be implemented to make the workplace welcoming and, importantly, COVID-19 safe.

In order for buildings to reopen, building services and critical infrastructure systems need to be brought back online, ensuring facilities can function without risk. This is alongside designing new desk arrangements and introducing new procedures for safe distancing, such as entry points, staircases and lift usage.

Find out more and download the full guide here.

The welcome experience 

For the second part of our Back to Work series, we look at the welcome and access areas of a building, with a focus on maintaining the safety of employees and managing social distancing.

Employees coming back into the office for the first time will be looking for reassurance that their organisation has adopted visible controls that puts their safety first; from the moment they step into the building, until they leave. 

The key measures of social distancing and good hygiene form the basis of good practice and when enhanced by technology and other innovations, can lead to an exceptional welcome experience.

Find out more and download the full guide here.

The new office configuration

As the impact of coronavirus continues to be felt globally, the reality of social distancing measures has seen significant changes to the way we live our lives. As these measures are applied to the workplace, the design of the office and its potential future function will be very different to before.

Our calculations show that by introducing social distancing in the workplace, occupancy numbers could be reduced to as little as 25% of pre-coronavirus figures, changing the landscape of the office for the foreseeable future.

In the third instalment of our Back to Work series we examine the changes required to make the workplace compliant with new government guidelines as well as safeguarding the welfare of employees returning to the office.

Find out more and download the full guide here.

Building operations