A Step-By-Step Guide to Reopening an Office

Lockdowns are easing in many parts of America, and people are returning to their workplaces. But with coronavirus rates still surging in parts of the country, employees are also anxious. 

According to a survey on attitudes about re-entry by JLL, a professional services firm specializing in real estate, workers are worried, particularly about office cleaning procedures and the health dangers posed by the proximity of coworkers. 

To reassure employees and make return-to-work a smooth, orderly process for everyone, JLL has released its (Re)entry Guidebook, a detailed outline of best practices for transitioning to the “next normal.” 

The guidebook breaks the process into three main pillars:

1. Physical space—”(re)activate space”: how and when people should begin to return to the workspace, and how the space is structured and used.
2. Safety concerns—”(re)spect health and wellness”: how to prioritize the safety, security and health of employees, tenants and visitors.
3. Procedures—”(re)vitalize property and workplace operations”: how to make workspaces ready for re-entry that follow new business and social distancing protocols, as well as government guidelines/requirements.

For the first pillar regarding space, many of the guidelines are aimed at promoting social distancing:

• Return employees on a staggered basis, possibly creating shifts to promote social distancing. 
• Redesign floor plans and furniture reconfigurations; plus repurposing underutilized spaces.
• Use more technology, such as installing occupancy sensors;  using employee-facing apps that address health and safety concerns; and deploying monitors to measure indoor air quality metrics or detect leaks and spills without needing to keep engineering personnel on-site.
• Plan for and manage congestion in common areas like elevator banks, cafeterias and fitness centers.

The guidelines for the second pillar regarding health include these suggestions:

• Optimize air quality for health. Configure HVAC systems to run on full fresh air rather than recirculation.
• Provide employees with masks, wipes, hand sanitizers, and other infection prevention.
• Consider grab-and-go stations for food pick-up with preferred food vendors.
• Offer employee health screening and wellness seminars.

The third pillar concerns procedures and operations. Among its suggestions:

• Communicate with everyone about best practices for maintaining safe and clean workspaces.
• Consider change management expertise to help coach employees through transition.
• Maintain safe building operations. Audit building’s technical systems Reinstate heating and cooling systems. Test fire and life safety as well as emergency electrical systems.
• Establish protocols for deep cleaning by janitorial staff.
• Focus on high traffic/touch spaces, common areas, elevator buttons, kitchenettes, bathrooms, etc.

But despite the best planning for re-opening the workplace, the guide also reminds us that we should prepare for setbacks—the possibility of another closing should there be a recurrence of the virus or other unexpected snag. With that in mind, the guide recommends that businesses set up “quick-close” procedures that abide by safety and insurance protocols.

The bottom line is that businesses must be flexible to deal with changes during this uncertain time. JLL’s Americas CEO for corporate solutions, Sanjay Rishi, calls the re-entry a “non-linear” process: “We believe that re-entry should be a gradual, multi-phased journey.”