When running a business, you have an essential duty of care for your employees each day – COVID-19 has raised this topic into national and global conversation, highlighting how to keep everyone as safe as possible while still propelling the economy, and allowing people to collaborate and grow their businesses and careers.
In Australia, many businesses have begun asking their staff back into office spaces, bringing culture and life back into offices that have had few people working in them over the last 12 months.
With states like Victoria now raising their limits to allow up to 75% of staff on-site, keeping on top of the COVID-Safe plans and processes for your business is essential.
1. Hybrid work arrangements
Many businesses are creating their own balance when it comes to utilising Work-From-Home arrangements and bringing the team together in an office space.
By utilising staggered start times (negating peak-hour commutes), and alternating on-site teams, many larger businesses can ensure they’re making the most of their space.
With the benefits of flexible work arrangements well-acknowledged, many businesses are keeping it in their future planning, with evidence it is a key factor in attracting and retaining the best staff for your business.
For businesses that may have had a large headquarters pre-COVID, a downsize can make financial sense.
Flexible workspaces like Hub Australia offer scalable custom solutions, with additional desks, flexible memberships, and meeting spaces available to add on as needed.
2. COVID-Safe cleanliness and safety measures
Ensuring you stay on top of the standards for hygiene and cleanliness is key – most businesses had to scale up their cleaning processes during COVID-19, and maintaining these levels is essential for employee confidence as well as your employee’s safety.
Organisations such as Safe Work Australia, the WORC (of which Hub Australia is a founding member), and relevant industry bodies offer a wealth of information and resource regarding how to manage safety measures and hygiene to protect your team.
Hub Australia offers daily cleaning of all high-traffic touchpoints, amenities, and food preparation facilities, as well as constant monitoring and reporting of air quality levels, capacity, and the average temperature. Each is a key factor in the prevention of COVID and reduction of spread.
In a self-run space, such as an office under a private, long-term lease, these measures are likely to be costly and difficult to implement – by operating in a space that monitors and actions on your behalf, you save significant amounts of time and money.
3. Maintaining a communicative culture
As a nation, we’ve learned the importance of COVID testing and employees being supported to receive tests when they require them.
By maintaining the flexibility and communication for staff to work from home when needed, you empower your team to take care of their health and create a positive culture for your business.
By offering the flexibility to work from home as needed, you can also ensure productivity remains while people may wish to stay away from the office as a precaution, and bolster other employee’s confidence that the office is an increasingly safe place for them to be.
