COVID-19 Spurs Changes in Workplace Design
An analysis by JLL finds that landlords and companies are turning to technology to help protect the health and safety of employees who are returning to the office.
When workers return to the office, things may look quite different.
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting many landlords and companies to drastically alter their physical offices, be it the layout of desks, the sanitation and cleaning practices, and the number of employees who can be on site, according to a new analysis of workplace design by commercial real estate firm JLL.
Moving desks to ensure at least six feet in between them and the placement of barriers between workspaces are some of the more obvious changes companies are making to office space in order to physically distance workers, but technology is playing a major role as well according to the analysis.
Light activated sinks and hand dryers are being installed to ensure employees don’t have to touch those surfaces, and some companies are utilizing technology that allows workers to control audio/visual equipment, lights, doors, and thermostats from their phones. Health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield has implemented a program whereby workers scan a QR code to trigger the cleaning of their desks and conference rooms.
“Basically, after somebody finishes with their desk or meeting room, they scan a QR code which then notifies a porter to immediately come in and clean it,” said JLL Vice Presidents Nakira Carter. “So, if someone comes in 15 minutes after you’ve left, they can feel very confident that the desk or meeting room they are in has been cleaned and sanitized.”
JLL also found that some companies are using high-tech machines that disinfect surfacing with ultraviolet light. Office buildings could begin to use what is known as “cleanse portals.” The portals look similar to metal detectors and use ultraviolet rays on people when they step through. At least one popular New York City bakery is already using such a system, JLL found.
Reducing the density of office space in another key strategy for bringing employees back on site. Staggering the days in which workers may come in is one way to allow for room to stay socially distant. Putting workers in unused conference rooms is yet another way companies are spacing out workers. And when people need to collaborate in person, some have created so-called “desk pods” of fours desks paces far apart to be safe but also allow people to communicate with one another.
“You’re going to start seeing collaboration spaces being used more creatively,” Carter said. “They can house two or three employees at a time while still socially distancing from each other.”