Guest blog by Kaelee Nelson. Kaelee received her Master degree with an emphasis in Digital Humanities and pursues her career as a writer in San Diego, currently writing for 365businesstips.com. She enjoys informing readers about topics spanning industries such as technology, business, finance, culture, wellness, hospitality, and tourism.
Some companies, like Facebook and Twitter, have decided to maintain a permanent remote workforce while others look forward to returning to a professional work environment. It comes as no surprise that the transition to working from home has dramatically changed the way employees perform their roles and interact with colleagues. As we journey deeper into being sheltered in place, many people are wondering when they’ll be returning to the office.
Remote work presents new challenges that many find difficult to overcome. It can be difficult to collaborate with teams, monitor employees, and track project progression. You also need to build stronger time management skills and a greater sense of personal accountability to stay on track with a schedule — which can be very difficult when you’re surrounded by an endless list of distractions.
From loud construction outside to chores around the house that beg for your attention, it’s not easy to focus. Many parents also have children at home who require assistance to facilitate distant learning while schools remain closed due to COVID.
Considering all these obstacles, it’s easy to see why many workers look forward to returning to a professional work environment where they can socialize with coworkers and establish clearer work/life boundaries. In fact, the results of a recent Glassdoor survey indicate that nearly three in four employees (72%) are eager to return to the office following COVID-19. Yet the same survey indicates that employers are expected to take special safety precautions when reopening, such as:
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79% expect their employer to provide hand sanitizer or disinfectant
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54% expect their employer to mandate employees to wear masks and/or gloves in the office
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45% expect their employer to space workstations at least six feet apart from other coworkers
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38% expect their employer to check employees’ temperatures upon arrival at work
It’s clear there will be a new version of “normal” when offices finally reopen, and employers should communicate these changes prior to transitioning to make their staff feel safe. Some people may feel on the fence about returning — especially those who thrive in a remote setting — so as you develop a reopening plan with a new or renewed office lease, you might consider adding certain features that can incentivize workers to come back.
Here are five features you can add to your workplace, in addition to the safety measures listed above, that can help motivate employees to return to the office.
1. Standing Desks
Over the past several months, many people have developed more sedentary lifestyles while sheltering at home. Experts are concerned about adverse effects the pandemic has played on both physical and mental health, so if you haven’t yet installed standing desks at your office, there’s no better time than now.
Standing desks have become pretty commonplace in modern work environments, especially among companies who are looking to attract top Millennial talent. The trend ignited in response to a large volume of scientific research that proves the health detriments of sitting for an extended period of time (over eight hours), such as:
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Poor posture and core strength
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More lower back problems
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Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
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Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Standing desks reduce the amount of time people spend sitting every day, thereby helping to improve employees’ overall health. Additional benefits include gradual weight loss overtime, but the perks of working on your feet extend far beyond personal health.
According to the same survey, people who use sit/standing desks are:
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More engaged at work
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Better at their jobs
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Experience less work-related fatigue and anxiety
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Enjoy higher quality of life
Your team will feel more inclined to return to the office if they know that they can improve their physical health and professional productivity by doing so.
2. Natural Light
As you rearrange your (standing) desks at a safe, social distance, see if you can position work stations near windows. After being cooped up for so long in their homes, employees will relish the opportunity to work in natural light. And, sunshine not only makes people feel better, it also makes them work better — statistics say that employees who work near sunlit windows rate 15% higher in productivity.
Depending on whether you own the building and can install new windows to brighten up the office, or you’ve entered a commercial lease or rental agreement with limited options, this might be a difficult feature to implement. But, either way, you can always encourage your staff to take outdoor breaks as-needed to stretch their legs and soak up some vitamin D.
3. Break Rooms
Speaking of breaks, be sure to partition off separate work zones including a quiet “Do Not Disturb” area. Offices with open floor plans can be very distracting — sometimes even more so than the distractions remote workers faced in the solitude of their home.
Volume aside, some team members may have grown accustomed to the freedom of stepping away from their computer for a moment, shutting their eyes, charging their batteries, and returning to their desk with renewed vigor. Whether they need to concentrate on a problem or contact a family member, your employees deserve a dedicated space where they can decompress from post-COVID stress.
4. Fun Elements
In the Glassdoor survey we mentioned earlier, the primary reason 52% of employees want to return to the office is to socialize with coworkers — so, try to (safely) facilitate those interactions with fun activities in the office. Ping pong, Nintendo 64, an indoor putting green… the options are endless.
Providing these types of features will show that you care about your employees as individual people, rather than just cogs in the machine.
5. Coffee & Snacks
If it’s not within your business budget to install the office features we mentioned above, hopefully you can at least offer your employees a coffee station stocked with snacks like granola bars, bagels, bananas, and so forth. The main priority is to demonstrate tokens of gratitude that express appreciation for their return to work — just be sure to regularly de-santize common areas in an effort to keep everyone safe.
Final Thoughts
It might be too soon to predict when America’s workforce will return to an office setting after COVID-19, but it’s best to be proactive by developing a reopening strategy that includes prudent safety protocols, along with perks that will make employees excited to show up each day.
Here are a few other articles we think you will like:
7 Things to Look Out for in Your Office Lease
Getting The Best Deal on Your Next Office Lease
3 Commercial Real Estate Technology Tools You Should Know
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