Canadian HR Reporter

N E W S 8 www.hrreporter.com Scheduling, distancing key to bringing employees safely back to work Both employees and employers have concerns about going back to work after months of layoffs and remote work. But there are several ways employers can boost safety and reassure people, finds Sarah Dobson WORKERS are nervous. As much as they're keen to escape the lockdowns of recent months and get back to old routines, they're in no rush to return to their workplace if they don't feel safe. Employers are nervous, too, with m a n y u n s u r e h o w t o m a i n t a i n social distancing policies and follow the rules. But with staggered work schedules, a changed office layout, new types of barriers and fewer in-person meetings, a "new normal" should be achievable, say experts. Employers want to make sure that their people feel safe, healthy and valued, says Annie Bergeron, principal and design director at Gensler in Toronto. " They're preparing very carefully, very meticulously to mitigate risk for their employees. And they're also preparing all the communications around that, making sure that they hit the right tone and so on. Because no one can guarantee anyone's safety, but I think employers are demonstrating to their employees that they care and that they are doing everything possible to mitigate risk and to empower their people… with policies, with procedures," she says. Scheduling changes Once people do start returning to the workplace, density is taking a hiatus, says Bergeron. That means having only a certain percentage of the workforce come back to ensure social distancing. " This doesn't require sweeping architectural changes… that's more of a scheduling challenge." An employer could have some staff come to work Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Mondays and Wednesdays, and everybody working from home Fridays, says Doug Stewart, Cushman & Wakefield's head of digital buildings practice in Charlotte, N.C. Multi-pronged approach Most companies are being ver y methodical as they look at this, says Cathy Hofknecht, managing partner at neuconcepts in Durham, N.C. "They recognize the risk of not taking appropriate measures — imagine you have a large office and one person gets infected and now suddenly you have an outbreak in your office... That's why they're taking it slow." Organizations are going to come up with unique solutions that work for them, says Victoria Arrandale, assistant professor of occupational and environment health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. "[It's about] respecting the physical distance, maintaining good hygiene and having as few people as possible on site and supporting people who either need to stay home or are sick and have to stay home — for me, those are the guiding pillars that they need to be thinking about." With so much still unknown about the virus, it's going to take a multi-pronged approach or a combination of efforts to try and reduce any transmission in the workplace, she says. "We are learning and we are making the best decisions that we can with limited information." "There's also some thoughts around 'Hey, how do we start to monitor occupancy and utilization of space?' So, [it's about] reservation systems and if a group has to be in there during the day in a certain time, then they can be in there. And even though they're not face-to-face collaborating, they're within the same general area and able to have the interaction and conversations." Another best practice is for employers to keep good records on who exactly is at the worksite each day, says Arrandale. "This will support the contact tracing that the.... public health system is tr ying to undertake… because, if a case arises, that's the type of information that can be very useful in contact tracing." WORKERS LOOKING FOR ASSURANCES IN RETURNING TO WORK Source: PwC (U.S.) 51% Notify me if a coworker tests positive for COVID-19 51% Customers follow safety and hygiene practices 50% There are cleanliness and disinfecting procedures 49% There are clear response and shut-down protocols if someone tests positive "We are learning and we are making the best decisions that we can with limited information." Victoria Arrandale, University of Toronto

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