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  [22]Health
  How offices will change after coronavirus
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  Chairs spaced by tape in a bank in Moscow, Russia on 8 April 2020
  By Jessica Mudditt 15th May 2020
  Pandemic-proofing offices could involve short-term fixes, new working
  patterns and long-term design upgrades that put hygiene at the heart of
  workplace planning.
  A

  As many nations cautiously make their way toward relaxing Covid-19
  lockdowns, many of us are starting to envision a time when we can stop
  [26]working at our kitchen tables and return to the office. Yet, in the
  absence of a vaccine, aspects of modern workplaces will have to change
  if employees are to safely return to their desks.

  Experts suggest this could involve a combination of short-term fixes
  aimed at boosting worker confidence, reducing the number of staff in
  the office at any one time and longer-term design upgrades and
  modifications that put [27]hygiene at the heart of workplace planning.

  The first phase of resuming office life will involve making basic
  changes to keep employees safe and allay fears, says Albert De
  Plazaola, global strategy director at design firm Unispace. “We may
  have lived with the flu for many years, but this is the first time our
  generation has experienced a pandemic. We're now hyperaware of health
  risks, whether real or imagined. And employers are hypersensitive about
  the potential for liability if people get sick at work.”

  Yet, with so much uncertainty, it’s unlikely that major refits will be
  undertaken anytime soon, explains De Plazaola, who is based in San
  Francisco and has worked with Facebook and Yahoo!. “There's a flurry of
  activity, but it’s purely focused on tactical solutions. No one is
  willing to invest a significant sum on solutions that could be rendered
  ineffective [by our increased understanding of Covid-19, or a vaccine]
  in six-months’ time. What you will see is small, targeted hits – almost
  surgical interventions – that will provide employees with a sense of
  safety.”

Workstations were about privacy and acoustics - now they represent a physical
separation between colleagues – Brent Capron

  The ‘sneeze guard’ is one such low-cost, high-impact measure. Brent
  Capron, interior design director at global design practice Perkins and
  Will in New York, uses the term to describe an additional panel fitted
  between socially distanced desks. “Previously, workstations were about
  privacy and acoustics. Now they represent a physical separation between
  colleagues. Until we hopefully have a vaccine, having that physical
  barrier will make people feel more comfortable,” he says.

  Distributed offices and rotating days

  Perhaps unsurprisingly, many are heralding the end of the open-plan
  workplace and the return of small, private offices. Huddle rooms, for
  example, could be used as offices until social distancing protocols are
  relaxed. However, Amanda Stanaway, Sydney-based principal architect of
  architectural and consulting practice Woods Bagot, says the cellular
  office plan has “limited benefits for workplace culture and
  communication”.
  Workplaces will use short-term fixes to boost employee confidence
  before looking at long-term solutions

  Workplaces will use short-term fixes to boost employee confidence
  before looking at long-term solutions

  Some of her clients, she says, are more interested in the idea of the
  distributed office. Shunning a crowded central hub for a distributed
  set of smaller offices that may be closer to where staff live could
  mean less exposure to infectious diseases like Covid-19 on public
  transport. “Having small groups of people working collaboratively would
  address the need for connections and improved mental health, but
  without risking massive exposure, where one person gets the virus and
  everyone else has to self-isolate,” she says.

  In the short-term, it seems likely that many of us will remain working
  from home even after government orders to do so are lifted. A staggered
  workforce may become standard, with smaller groups coming in on
  alternate days and shifts that avoid transport rush-hour peaks.

  “Organisations are working out who most needs to be at the office, and
  capping staff numbers off at about 30%, which is probably the sweet
  spot for social distancing,” says De Plazaola. For starters, he
  foresees firms subsidising home offices, given the home is now
  considered a legitimate workspace. This is something that could
  potentially allay concerns about [28]health impacts from ergonomically
  inadequate set-ups.

We work because we enjoy coming together to create ideas and solve problems –
Amanda Stanaway

  Stanaway says a shift to home working could “liberate” parts of the
  workforce such as working mothers and those who live far from major
  cities and have struggled to find work. But she believes commentary
  about the office becoming redundant is overblown. “Yes, most people
  work to earn money, but we also work because we enjoy coming together
  to create ideas and solve problems. I think that’s what we've been
  missing these past few weeks. That sense of connection is fundamental
  to the human race.”

  Offices that resemble hospitals

  In the longer term, experts predict that society’s heightened awareness
  of contagious diseases could usher in a new type of office – one that
  has elements in common with a hospital.
  Post-pandemic offices could include hygiene stations, signage
  indicating direct routes, separated seats and more automation (Image:
  Unispace)

  Post-pandemic offices could include hygiene stations, signage
  indicating direct routes, separated seats and more automation (Image:
  Unispace)

  Capron, who has designed office buildings for hospitals and worked with
  healthcare interior teams, is now applying that knowledge to designing
  office spaces. “One of the guiding principles is choosing materials
  that can withstand heavy cleaning using caustic products. You’ll see
  porous surfaces like natural oiled wood avoided, with a preference for
  stone or laminates,” he says. He also expects to see solution-dyed
  carpets with moisture-barrier backing used, because they can withstand
  heavy shampooing.

  These more durable materials are not necessarily costlier than the more
  familiar alternatives. This is important, because in these straitened
  economic times, few organisations will have a budget for an expensive
  refit. “The cost difference is not great – it’s more about mindfully
  choosing between A and B,” says Capron. “I also think tenants will
  demand more from their landlords in terms of more regular cleaning.”

  He also expects to hear more discussion about air filtration systems
  [29]that use ultra-violet light. “Even though a UV system isn’t
  something that you should have out in the open – they tend to be hidden
  back in the ductwork – companies may look at heavy UV cleaning when
  everyone has gone home to make sure that the air is as clean as we can
  get it.”

I love the idea of handwashing becoming a new ritual when you enter an office
or a public space – Brent Capron

  Another feature of hospitals that is likely to become an office staple
  is sinks: expect reception and common areas to be fitted out with them.
  “I love the idea of handwashing becoming a new ritual when you enter an
  office or a public space,” says Capron.

  He also expects office layouts to change, with circuitous routes
  eliminated. “Doctors’ work is so urgent and their time is so precious
  that they will find the fastest way to get from point A to point B. We,
  too, will be more focused on getting from A to B in a very direct
  manner, and conscious of what we're touching along the way.”

  Privacy versus self-regulation

  Another concept that may emerge is the ‘contactless office’ – something
  experts predict could become widespread among organisations who can
  afford it.

  For example, employees could eliminate the need to press communal
  buttons by using their smartphone to send a command to the elevator or
  staff coffee machine (in fact, Perkins and Will have such a coffee
  machine in their new office). Conference rooms could be fitted out with
  voice-activated technologies to control lighting, audio and visual
  equipment. Passing through doors or flushing the toilet would require a
  simple wave, while self-service in office kitchens could become a relic
  of the past, to be replaced with automation or a dedicated server.
  Thermal scanners have been used in airports - but would deploying
  similar technology in workplaces spark privacy concerns?

  Thermal scanners have been used in airports - but would deploying
  similar technology in workplaces spark privacy concerns?

  There’s also the idea that companies could more aggressively monitor
  for sick employees. One possibility is embedding sensors underneath
  desks to monitor body temperatures, with a facilities manager alerted
  when someone has a fever. “This kind of technology already exists and
  wouldn’t be tough to integrate,” says De Plazaola. “But it raises huge
  privacy issues. HR and legal departments would need to weigh in on
  whether this is the right course to pursue.”

  Some organisations have already introduced somewhat similar measures.
  Sydney-based wholesale IT equipment distributor Dicker Data brought in
  staggered shifts for essential onsite workers, giant sanitising
  stations and extra cleaners. They’ve also invested AUD$10,000
  (USD$6,470, £5,258) in a body thermal scanner, which beeps if anyone
  has a temperature while standing in front of it. The warehouse manager
  is responsible for assessing whether the staff member looks sick and
  should be sent home.

  “There were a couple of instances when we did ask staff to go home. And
  I think that gave our staff a sense of safety,” says Mary Stojcevski,
  the company’s chief financial officer. No objections were raised to
  using the thermal scanner, she adds, and when the company’s new office
  building is completed in October, all 400 staff plus visitors will pass
  through it.

  Aodhan MacCathmhaoil believes that self-regulation is preferable. The
  founder of Sydney-based garbage company Waster is currently looking for
  new office premises and although he has a long list of safety
  requirements, he will not contemplate temperature checks. “I think the
  negative aspects would outweigh the benefits. Morale would suffer if
  people felt that they were being policed. Should I know about my
  employees’ health? It’s definitely a grey area. I'm not a medical
  professional, so I wouldn't know how to interpret the data anyway.”

  Whatever happens in the months ahead, and even if a Covid-19 vaccine
  becomes available, it seems likely that the experience of living
  through a pandemic will have a long-lasting impact on the way we work
  and how our workplaces function. If nothing else, the idea of coming to
  work while sick could become socially unacceptable. On the other end of
  the spectrum is a focus on health and hygiene so pronounced that it
  gives new meaning to the idea of working in a sterile environment.
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