By now, we all know what the pandemic has done to the way we work and how it has revolutionized our offices and remote working. We also know that she has created a new work concept, “hybrid work,” in which workers can decide when to work from home and when to work in the office.
And although we watched the vaccination figures with relief and thought that this could be the last push in our pandemic, we know that some infection figures are rising again. And that worries us.
And while we're primarily concerned about what that means for our family, our health, and our travel plans, companies are also worried about what it means for their employees.
But we can tell you that the hybrid work set-up that you've probably already set up is here to stay. And not changing something for once is a good thing. After all, you've probably invested time, money, and energy to make this hybrid work concept a reality.
“How is it that nothing has to change? “, you might ask yourself. Because the hybrid work concept emerged from the pandemic and will therefore withstand another wave. Unless our government imposes another curfew for all of us... But let's try not to imagine this nightmare scenario.
Instead, here are four ways in which hybrid work can actually help your office and company manage a pandemic or rising corona figures:
1. Track & Trace in the office
Of course, we want to avoid becoming a Big Brother or a Big Sister who monitors and controls everyone who comes to the office. But that is not what this is about. Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced us to recognize that sometimes vigilance is needed when it comes to our health and wellbeing.
Since the virus is transmitted via the air, we know that our colleagues could technically be infected with COVID if we are positive and they are sitting next to us. Companies must therefore find a way to identify who has been sitting near an infected person in order to prevent an outbreak in the office — and to meet regulatory spending.
But this is exactly where hybrid work helps. If you have a tool that allows employees to enter their place of work, i.e. show whether they are working from home or from the office, then you have a list of employees who are in the office. And where they're sitting exactly.
And that's pretty handy when it comes to the COVID pandemic. Imagine an employee telling HR that they've tested positive. This makes it easy to check which day he was in the office and inform all employees who were also there that they should get tested. Or you can check which room, area or even desk the person concerned was sitting in and ask employees in their area to go into quarantine. Easy as a piece of cake!
2. Desk sharing enables desk blocking
Even though many countries have abandoned the need for social distancing, that doesn't mean there is a chance that restrictions will be reintroduced.
But while your company may have introduced desk sharing to make hybrid work easier, you're probably thinking: “All desks are close together — and the numbers are increasing, what should we do? ”
There's no need to worry. We understand that the concept of desk sharing may not seem hygienic or compatible enough for a pandemic, but we promise you that it is.
In addition to allowing employees or cleaners to clean their desks before and after use, you also have the option to block desks.
If you use a desk sharing tool that allows employees to book specific desks, you might also have admin access to configure a desk (if not, you should switch to Seatti 😉).
This feature allows you to block or deactivate specific desks in an office.
This action is ideal when a distance of 2 m must be maintained between employees. Simply lock certain desks so you can't book them, and everyone can continue to enjoy desk sharing.
3. Hybrid work enables remote work
The name says it all. Hybrid is a combination of two different elements. By hybrid work, we mean the combination of office and remote work (usually at home). And due to the pandemic, most companies have already set up their remote work set-up.
And we know from statistics that many workers are actually demanding that remote work — at least twice a week — be maintained. Because many people like the opportunity to work from home. But in the area of the pandemic, it is sometimes not just about what everyone wants, but also about what is needed.
And what some workers need is the option and opportunity to work from home. Many people fall into the “high-risk” category, and even if they're vaccinated, they may still be afraid of catching the virus. Others may live with people at risk or simply be afraid in general.
Regardless of which category they fall into, the beauty of hybrid work is that the company can give these workers the opportunity to work from home.
Because hybrid work means that almost everyone has already prepared for the possibilities of remote work — remote tech set-up, hybrid meetings, digital communication tools, etc. No one has to be forced to come to the office, everyone can stay safe and healthy.
4. Limited number of workstations in the office
Here, too, the following applies: Although the general restrictions have been lifted, we are ready for them to return. And the limited occupancy of certain rooms is just one of them.
In other words, the restriction that only a certain number of people are allowed in a certain room size.
So imagine that these restrictions are reintroduced — or that you have retained these restrictions for security reasons. With a Flex Office management tool, you can easily configure this.
If your tool has an admin configuration panel, you can not only restrict desks or areas, but also the entire office.
Simply add how many people can book a desk or how many can come to the office, and with one simple step, you'll have the restrictions under control.
Now only 100 employees are allowed to come to the office, and the 101st employee must work remotely. You comply with the restrictions, don't have to worry about regulations and no one has to worry about the pandemic in the office.
