August 2020 Back to the office?


While the world is still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with testing, tracing, and treatment still in progress, and a vaccine or drug treatment many months away, there is a need to consider what it means to transition back to the office. Here, ex- perts give their views on how this can be done, safely!


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“Any return to work before a vaccine is available will have employees dis- tanced and possibly masked. Many offices will operate at a reduced ca- pacity, perhaps with staggered work- days and hours. Places where em- ployees normally gather – conference rooms, cafeterias, breakrooms – may be off-limits. Corporate culture as we have known it, with ongoing employ- ee interaction, may never return.” so says S. Ann Earon, Ph.D., president of Telemanagement Resources In- ternational Inc. (TRI) and Founding Chairperson of IMCCA, the non-profit industry association for conferencing,


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collaboration, and unified communi- cations.


Some of the trends welcomed in the last few years, such as ‘hot-desking’ seem alien to today’s culture of ‘track and trace’ and regular deep cleaning. “Office planners are working on a new workplace with new cubicle designs, upgraded ventilation systems, and touchless


everything (elevator but-


tons, door entrances, faucets, etc.). The open workspace environments of today, with employees sitting close together, will be in the past,” says Earon. “Emphasis will be placed on rigorous cleaning protocols that will


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be followed throughout the day, not just after work.”


Office return?


While the best hazard mitigation may be working from home, at some point some people will want and need to re- turn to an office environment. Others will find working from anywhere more productive and attractive. A recent webinar, hosted by Condeco, revealed that the trend in favour of working from home, established as a conse- quence of Covid-19, is likely to have a long-tern impact, Webinar presenter


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