How to Plan Post-COVID at Work? 5 Key Steps

To plan post-COVID at work, businesses need a structured approach that covers employee health monitoring, safe workspace redesign, real-time compliance tracking, emergency communication channels, and continuous staff education.

As we approach the post-COVID environment, one major question arises: how do we plan a safe return to work? Management teams across industries and company sizes are now searching for the best ways to keep employees safe while finding a suitable new organizational design.

Various concerns persist in managing the return to work, as social distancing rules prohibit usual desk allocations and full working capacity. Planning the physical workspace is a clear priority alongside hygiene requirements. On top of that, employee health conditions need close monitoring even before staff step back into the office, in case of any COVID-19 related symptoms. Every business is responsible for carefully planning workplace safety after quarantine.

Sorwe Helps Businesses with Organizational Re-Design and Communication in COVID

Sorwe Employee Experience Platform designed a complementary COVID Crisis Management Platform that eases workspace control during a pandemic. With the Sorwe mobile app, companies manage their workplace and workforce throughout the employee's journey to the office, reducing uncertainty for both employees and management on health issues. Sorwe provides solutions starting from before employees leave home to make their way to the office. It systematically lets management know whether everything aligns with coronavirus measures at work and creates open communication 24/7 for COVID-19 related emergencies, with alerts sent directly to the company.

Sorwe COVID-19 Workplace Solutions

5 Essential Steps for a Safe 'Back to Office' Plan Post-COVID

There are 5 vital steps businesses need to keep in mind when planning post-COVID at work.

1. Before We Meet Again: Online Health Check-in

As government restrictions ease, people are slowly returning to offices. But first, companies need to confirm everyone is healthy before they come back. For this purpose, Sorwe introduced a Daily Health Check-in that sends surveys to employees' mobiles, taking less than 2 minutes to complete before starting the journey to the office. Companies can ask simple questions related to personal health, close contacts, and recent outside activities. These responses generate an overall score benchmarking whether the employee carries a risk in returning to the communal space. Surveys can be customized per company, and Sorwe also offers 10 ready-to-use questions.

If someone appears to be at risk based on their answers, Sorwe immediately reports this to management, suggesting that the person should not come to the office.

2. If Everything Is Good, Let's Choose the New Desk Location

We now know sitting close together is no longer safe. Before staff return to the office, some reshuffling of the workplace is needed. This doesn't mean reconstruction, but here are some tips to consider when creating a new organizational design and seating plan:

– How many staff do you want in the office per day?

– Which areas do you want to be desk-free?

– Which areas have potential for new desks?

– Can you convert communal areas into hot desks?

– How can you make common areas COVID-safe?

The new practice among companies is to welcome different employees each day rather than keeping the same cohort in the office continuously. Using Sorwe, employees can see and choose from available desks and reserve their seats before coming to the office, workshop, or cafeteria, so they know exactly where they'll sit and their journey inside the building.

3. We Are Now in the Office: How to Ensure Everything Runs According to Measures

By the time staff return to the office, a lot of effort has already gone into design and precautions. It's now time to welcome employees back. It's even more crucial to maintain control and apply measures once everyone is in the office.

Sorwe allows businesses to closely monitor their head office, stores, branches, and production lines to see how successfully COVID measures are being followed. Any authorized manager can view real-time reports highlighting problematic areas.

Sorwe asks pulse questions in three main categories: evaluation of the working environment, colleagues, and hygiene rule compliance.

4. Any Emergency? Here's the COVID-19 Hotline

In case of a workplace emergency related to COVID-19, employees can report it anytime through the open-ended feedback section on their mobile, available 24/7. Responses are instantly analyzed using AI-based text-sentiment analysis and reported directly to management, ensuring quick action when it's needed most.

5. Management Updates and E-learning: Keep Your Staff Fully Informed

Sorwe also offers 12 e-learning modules on various COVID-19 related topics, with an average length of 2 minutes, free for all staff to use. Topics include teamwork during COVID, how to explain COVID to children, and personal care tips.

Management can share updates via the Sorwe app's Insta-style Story section instead of emails. Sorwe Stories increase engagement while ensuring everyone stays informed, rather than updates getting lost in an unread inbox.

How Can I Start Using Sorwe? How Does Onboarding Work?

Sorwe offers all COVID-19 related services as complementary, free of charge. You can start using it and try a demo by clicking here. The onboarding process for all your employees takes as little as 1 working day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to plan post-COVID at work?

Plan post-COVID at work by monitoring employee health before they return, redesigning desk layouts for social distancing, tracking compliance with safety measures, offering emergency reporting channels, and keeping staff informed through e-learning and updates.

What is an online health check-in for returning to the office?

It's a short daily survey, taking under 2 minutes, that employees complete before heading to the office. It flags potential health risks and alerts management if someone should not come in.

How should companies redesign office seating post-COVID?

Companies should limit daily occupancy, create desk-free zones, convert communal areas into hot desks, and let employees reserve seats in advance to maintain safe distancing.

How can businesses monitor COVID safety compliance in real time?

Tools like Sorwe let managers view real-time reports on hygiene compliance, workplace conditions, and colleague interactions through regular pulse surveys sent to employees.

Is Sorwe's COVID-19 workplace solution free to use?

Yes, Sorwe offers all COVID-19 related features as a complementary service, with onboarding for all employees completed in as little as one working day.