COVID-19: Preparing For The Changes In The Workspace
While the pandemic has slowly transformed the traditional office life into a more hybrid working style, face-to-face meetings are still crucial to facilitate collaboration, generate ideas, and solve complex issues. Therefore, the office as we know it isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay but on one condition: that you create a safe and healthy working environment.
It’s important to note that a complete transition to the new ways of working will take some time. The end of the pandemic is still nowhere in sight, people will still be forced to work from home, and the chance of another lockdown is still very much a possibility. So this is the ideal time to redesign and renovate your office to prepare for the new working culture.
Provide A Safe Working Environment
A safer working environment will be in everyone’s mind even after the pandemic ends. Therefore, implementing new health regulations in the office is inevitable.
Safety measures need to be included when you do your office space planning to help put your employee’s minds at ease.
The social distancing rule is one that many businesses have enforced and one you should also adopt.
Have two-meter boundaries between workers and implement effective flow management where one-way traffic patterns are set to decrease the chance of cross-contamination. Also, add signage to your office interior design to help remind your employee of the new system.
You can also reinforce your safety measures by putting transparent and flexible divisions to protect employees from harmful airborne microbes.
Incorporate Modern Technology
The future of work goes hand in hand with modern technology. We’re talking beyond the obvious technical aspects such as hardware and connectivity. What we’re proposing is to use touchless technology and voice recognition technology to reduce the number of touchpoints (less opportunities for viruses to spread) and help smoothen workflow.
Voice technology such as voice assistants can be a great tool to boost business productivity. For example, speeding up communication, assisting HR and IT support, and helping multilingual teams communicate more clearly.
Moreover, technology can also be used as part of your prevention strategy. For instance, having a thermal detector at the entry point will make sure your workers are fit and healthy to work that day.
Put More Emphasis on Hygiene
The coronavirus pandemic reminds us of the importance of hygiene. As a result, everyone is now putting extra effort into keeping themselves and others around clean. We can already see these changes happening in different business sectors, from offices to supermarkets to airports.
Your office should be no different. Provide handwashing and disinfecting stations and have a regular cleaning schedule, preferably before and after office hours, even breaktimes. In addition, install air purifiers and control the temperature to keep the air inside your office in optimal condition.
Use Interior Design To Maintain Health And Wellness
One key aspect of hybrid working is creating an environment that focuses on the wellness of your workforce. Therefore, besides prevention, maintaining health is crucial. We want our employees to be healthy in the first place. And this can be done with the help of interior design.
A healthy work environment is all about balance and harmony. Use the combination of different lightings and open up the windows to let the natural light in. Additionally, position the desks towards the windows so that your workers can see the outside views and get inspired. Don’t let your workers stare at the blank wall, as it can make you feel as if you’re facing an obstacle.
A clear mind and being relaxed is an essential part of working. Create aesthetically pleasing spaces for your office renovation so that you and your workforce can unwind and rest. To help create a soothing environment, add colours such as green. It’s also vital to add other colours that can spark creativity and boost confidence. So bright colours like yellow and orange are excellent choices to go for.
Your COVID-19 office interior design should also incorporate decorations such as plants. Their role is more than just natural beauty. Plants bring numerous positive effects to the rooms, such as improving the air quality, reducing stress levels, enhancing mood, and many more!
All these office space planning and changes require professional help. So look no further! We’re one of the best office interior design and office renovation contractors in Singapore. Let us help you with your office project. Contact us for more detail.