How effective are modern work spaces in battling the spread of COVID-19?
The pandemic and its virus have run rampant for more than a year now. It has prompted us to reshape our communities and reconfigure our method of operations. Other than the flow of businesses and a shifting revenue stream, the inner workings of offices all over the world have suffered an ill fate. Not only have offices been ordered to reduce their workforce by 50% but the layout also be in-line social distancing norms. This has impacted the existing structures of companies and forced them to adopt new ways, not all of which are beneficial for daily operations.
Work from home was the first stage of transforming the existing working structure. Employees were to operate remotely from their homes and not commute daily to the workspace. Although this is in line with the safety protocols that were issued, it severely affected the mental state and the productivity of employees/companies over the world. All offices in DLF IT SEZ Kolkata were temporarily shut down and the campus transitioned into a quite empty corporate space.
All of us soon got accustomed to working from home in our night suits and have weird working hours. The day would transition into the night but the screen would remain operational, straining eyes all the while. It was not long before we as Humans had to shift back to commuting for work and returning to the office. Little did we know that our workspaces would never be the same again. Masks on everyone’s faces, socially distanced seating, and most team members still working from home. All of these changes have us in a tussle with ourselves and what once used to be. DLF Ipark Kolkata has been at the forefront of tackling such issues and put workplace hygiene at the forefront of its operations.
In such times, workspaces that have space to offer and dedicated staff to keep the place tidy are preferable options for companies. Here is a list of changes that your workplace should definitely have implemented if they haven’t already:
1. Regular sanitation/fumigation:
Any area within the workplace that seats more than 5–6 people at any one time should be repeatedly sanitized. This includes but is not limited to coffee counters, cafeterias, and workstations. Further sanitation ought to be done on keyboards, mouse, screens, and any high touchpoints such as elevator buttons or main door handles. While one can always carry their own sanitizers, it is quite impractical to keep applying them on yourself or across all surfaces that one comes in contact with. DLF has a slew of staff members that have been trained and entrusted with maintaining hygiene standards. Facilitating offices with disposable gloves, wipes, and/or PPE kits for that extra bit of care goes a long way in building and maintaining trust.
2. Promoting washing of hands:
All staff in any company that is operating during the pandemic ought to begin sensitizing their staff about maintaining personal hygiene. This includes periodically ensuring that all employees wash their hands. To ensure that, companies should have easy access to washing areas or washroom facilities. This can also be implemented by placing contactless sanitizer stations across the corporate space. This has been done by DLF IT Park1 in their Ipark to ensure that no spread of the virus occurs due to negligence or lapse in sanitation.
Even the washrooms ought to be different for the companies as minimizing interaction of employees is in the best interest of safety and security for all.
3. Educating the employees:
Since the transition has been enormous and featured everything that we are not familiar with, it requires extra effort to come to terms with. Companies are thus advised to brief their employees about any new formalities that have been introduced and to remind them of safety measures that are paramount. Measures such as social distancing and regular washing of hands have been told to us over the television in our homes but exercising it, in reality, is a different tale altogether. We are so used to the practices of old that anything new seems too much of an adjustment. IT park Kolkata has within its premises multiple multinational corporations that have taken such steps to educate their employees and create a safe working environment for all.
Since the situation is constantly evolving, it is tough to put a pin on it and take a definite course of action. The approach should be to remain flexible, accommodative, and open to anything new that develops with the natural flow of time. Corporations are expected to be up-to-date with changing trends and responsibility falls on the employees to maintain a smooth flow of operations. It also is dependent on them to reduce illness and be as proficient as possible.