Creating a safe workspace for the post-pandemic era

It is not unknown that the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the world of work. It showed leaders the transformational possibilities in the workspace. However, the topmost priority for organizations is to create a safe space, both for physical and mental well-being. So, as the world is returning back to work, here are some ways in which leaders can make the office safer for their employees.

More space
Needless to say, workspaces need to alter their space planning for social distancing. It has elucidated the importance of re-strategizing the floor plan for optimization. For instance, if the primary purpose of an organization’s space is collaboration, then it needs re-modeling to maximize meeting room areas. Organizations allowing work from home have elbow room to incorporate innovative ideas to cater to the upcoming office designs.

Encouraging conversations
The last one and a half years have been particularly hard for employees who live alone. They were completely cut off from face-to-face interactions. Now that they are back in their offices they would look forward to socializing. HR should devise programs to encourage conversations and social dialogues among people. They can also organize special sessions with experts to approach pandemic-induced mental health issues like depression, anxiety, etc. It is a great way to keep the employees' well-being in check while showing that the organization cares about them.

Effective return policies
It is crucial for employees to feel safe as they return to the workspace. The leaders need to develop company policies regarding their safety and include actions to mitigate both health and psychosocial risks. Along with that, employers should also provide adequate occupational safety and health (OSH) training for occupational health hazards. The bottom line is that the determining factors for returning to work must be safety and an efficient risk mitigation plan.

Effective cooperation
Teamwork makes the dream work.

As cliche as it may sound, it stands true as even the smallest effort counts in making the post-pandemic workspace safe for everyone. Every employee needs to do their part to reduce friction and enable a smooth shift back to the office. While the leaders need to consider their employees’ needs in the evolved workspace, employees in return, need to be cooperative with the changes and share suggestions to assist the process.

The future work, workspace, and workforce will be fundamentally different in the post-pandemic era. Creating a safe workspace is imperative to observe growth and productivity. A united front can help an organization gradually emerge from this disruption to lead towards a brighter future.