The pandemic has forced the millions of workers to work from home, with no immediate end in sight. Most company impose mandatory work from home policies and as most workers wait for their lives to resume to normalcy, experts believe this may not include going back to an office. For businesses, it brings its own set of challenges since the pandemic reset major work trends. Organizations must reimagine their work and the role of offices in creating safe, productive, and enjoyable jobs and lives for employees. Here are top 5 challenges in workplace for Post-Covid Era.
Communication
One of the fundamental of business is communication. While the world has gone under lock down during the pandemic, collaboration in a fully remote environment definitely looks a little different, but it can still be effective with a little effort. With the reduce of face-to-face meeting or roundtable discussion, employees will need to know how to communicate with each other especially as many are beginning to work asynchronous hours in order to balance their responsibilities at home and at work.
Hygiene
As part of workers back to workplaces, employers must carefully consider if their workplace has super spreader potential. Pre-pandemic cleaning routines are unlikely to pass muster in a post Covid 19 world. Workplaces might in fact become extremely vulnerable to poor hygiene and cleanliness and it is this potential that needs to be met with vigilant health and safety strategies by employers.
Spaces, a.k.a Social Distancing
Work from home have significant control over workplace, in the sense of social distancing. However, at an office or store, it is difficult to control other people. In the workplace, social distancing has many natural and practical constraints which makes practicing social distancing difficult and sometimes almost impossible
Safety, contracting Covid-19 at workplace
The risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace depends on the likelihood of coming within 1 metre of others, in having frequent physical contact with people who may be infected with COVID-19, and through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. Employers should adopt infection prevention and control strategies based on a thorough workplace hazard assessment, using appropriate administrative controls and safe work practices.
Productivity loss and diminished workforce performance
Employees who do not have the tools and resources to work effectively outside of the corporate office may face challenges with maintaining normal productivity levels. Even if employees are able to be in the office, the heightened distraction and anxiety caused by coronavirus may reduce productivity.
Workers might feel like relaxing into a return to offices, however, employers must maintain a constant focus on workplace hygiene and cleanliness in the post-COVID world by delivering a modern empathetic workspace. Whoever can manage to deliver a seamless employee and workspace experience will find success in this post pandemic era.