{"id":25578,"date":"2021-01-11T13:08:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T13:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/blog\/navigating-the-office-reopening-in-2021-steps-for-success-and-missteps-to-avoid-2\/"},"modified":"2023-04-03T20:16:11","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T20:16:11","slug":"navigating-the-office-reopening-in-2021-steps-for-success-and-missteps-to-avoid-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/en-ca\/blog\/navigating-the-office-reopening-in-2021-steps-for-success-and-missteps-to-avoid-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating the Office Reopening in 2021: Steps for Success and Missteps to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

2021 just might be the year of the <\/span>reopening<\/span> of the <\/span>office<\/span>. With two vaccines in distribution plus promises of more, what will the future of the <\/span>workplace<\/span> look like in the United States? And how do you prepare?<\/span><\/p>\n

Upcoming Federal Regulations for COVID <\/b>Safety<\/b><\/h2>\n

Within 48 hours of President Joe Biden\u2019s inauguration, he issued an executive order directing OSHA (the Occupational <\/span>Safety<\/span> and Health Administration) to create <\/span>workplace<\/span> safety<\/span> protocols in light of COVID-19. Experts predict the <\/span>office reopening<\/span> rules will include a mask mandate, <\/span>physical distancing<\/span>, and ventilation standards to meet new public health requirements. While the CDC has issued similar recommendations, the difference here is that the <\/span>guidelines<\/span> will transform into enforceable regulations.<\/span>
\nWith COVID-19 cases still on the rise in many parts of the United States., employers should be mindful when <\/span>reopening<\/span> office<\/span> spaces. We encourage all employers and building managers to monitor<\/span> coronavirus cases<\/span> in their areas and to adhere to national, state, and local health and safety guidelines when considering <\/span>reopening<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Toll on Business and Personal Life in <\/b>Remote Work<\/b><\/h2>\n

It seemed as if the world turned to <\/span>remote work<\/span> overnight in mid-March 2020 without missing a beat: productivity skyrocketed, overhead costs plummeted, and some companies even vowed to permanently give up a headquarters location, instead building modern office systems<\/a> that are compliant with new public health regulations. However, many <\/span>remote workers<\/span> quickly recognized that balancing <\/span>work<\/span>, childcare, and schooling is no easy job.<\/span><\/p>\n

A 2020 study by Sandra Matz noted the correlation between where people <\/span>work<\/span> and how they feel<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span>. \u201cPeople feel more extroverted, more agreeable, more conscientious, when they are in other places, compared to when they are at home,\u201d she said, while \u201cpeople feel more disorganized and chaotic when they are at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote work<\/span> also takes a toll on creativity, collaboration, cooperation, and connection. As CEO of Chef Robotics, Rajat Bhageria, recently explained after missing a critical deadline: \u201c[<\/span>remote work<\/span> is] just a logistical nightmare\u201d<\/span>2<\/sup><\/span>. Issues that could previously be resolved in a few hours can now take days without the luxury of in-person intra-<\/span>office<\/span> communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rise of Co-Working & Flexible <\/b>Office Space<\/b><\/h2>\n

The future of <\/span>work<\/span> may reside with flexible <\/span>office space<\/span>. A prime example is co-working which allows entrepreneurs and employees from different companies to work in a centralized location. Real estate services firm CBRE Group Inc. predicted co-working could account for 13% of all <\/span>office space<\/span> by 2030<\/span>3<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given <\/span>safety<\/span> and public health concerns, shared space offices are shifting to include <\/span>hand sanitizer<\/span> stations, <\/span>social distancing<\/span>, <\/span>physical barriers<\/span> (plexiglass separators), <\/span>facial covering<\/span> requirements, and elevator limitations. <\/span>Break rooms<\/span> are also shifting to grab-and-go centers or being eliminated altogether to meet public health standards, as well as changing employee expectations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As JLL Senior Vice President and Senior Research Director, <\/span>Lauren Gilchrist,<\/span> states: \u201cWe predict that by 2030, 30% of all <\/span>office space<\/span> will be flexible<\/span>\u201d<\/span>4<\/sup><\/span>. She also notes that leasing will shift to include flexible leasing terms and durations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compa<\/span>ny e<\/span>xecutives are also considering ways to provide <\/span>office space<\/span> more efficiently. Global Principal of Strategy Albert De Plazaola at Unispace predict<\/span>s, \u201cA m<\/span>ore comprehensive approach to the hub-and-spoke model is to provide a variety of<\/span> \u201cspoke\u201d <\/span>work<\/span> environments, which may not need significant capital investment<\/span>\u201d \u2013 such as leveraging co-working spaces in suburban hubs to support \u201cmicrosites\u201d<\/span>5<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Armen Vartanian, senior vice president of global <\/span>workplace<\/span> services at Okta Inc., also embraces the spoke model: \u201cThese smaller offices could be spread across the <\/span>Bay Area<\/span> so that employees who live in <\/span>San Francisco<\/span> or the East Bay could go to an <\/span>office<\/span> in their own vicinity, and those who live farther down the peninsula would have yet another option\u201d<\/span>6<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new wave of leveraging the <\/span>office<\/span> is called the \u201cdynamic <\/span>workplace<\/span>.\u201d Instead of just limiting and <\/span>social distancing<\/span> employees, <\/span>the dynamic workplace is built<\/span> upon fewer employees coming to the <\/span>office<\/span> and repurposing shared space, while allowing for flexibility, productivity, and <\/span>safety<\/span>. In essence, it\u2019s a place designed for employees who want to escape<\/span> a distracti<\/span>on-filled home and are looking for <\/span>more in-person colla<\/span>boration and socialization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improved Ventilation & Safer Indoor Air Quality<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cSick building syndrome\u201d introduced Americans to health problems posed by an infected building. Now, with the <\/span>pandemic<\/span>, <\/span>company<\/span> executives are even more focused on<\/span> fixing indoor <\/span>air quality. Besides opening windows, office <\/a><\/span>safety<\/span> protocols include upgrading HVAC equipment, switching to MERV-13 hospital-grade air filters, and UV light filters. As Motili President and GM, Karl Pomeroy, explains: \u201cEveryone from retailers to large, tenant-occupied property owners and operators are scrambling to meet consumer demand for improved air quality\u201d<\/span>7<\/sup><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact-Free <\/b>Workplace<\/b> Amenities<\/b><\/h2>\n

As <\/span>office<\/span> managers think about <\/span>reopening<\/span>, contactless amenities are critical to <\/span>employee<\/span> safety<\/span>. Consider these amenities<\/span> as part of your <\/span>reopening plan<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n