9 minute read
Returning to Work
Getting back to business
On March 23, 2020, the country went into lockdown in a bid to slow the surge of COVID-19. Almost 18 months on, the world has changed dramatically – and in some cases, forever.
This rapid and radical sea-change has had a major impact on the way in which we all do business. The old 9am-5pm office culture has gone, seemingly for good, while Zoom and Teams calls have replaced many meetings that would have been held face-to-face.
The question is: will we revert back to our pre-pandemic behaviours or will online events and remote working become the norm in the post-COVID era?
Businesswoman Donna Obstfeld, founder of human resources specialist DOHR, says: “Government ministers have said that they don’t expect everyone to rush back to the office at once. At the moment the advice is that you can return to the office as long as it’s safe to do so – but this may change. Some companies are actively encouraging staff to work from home but giving them the option to come into the office. However, some employers are saying that their staff can only come to work if they’re double-jabbed; this could be seen as discriminatory and therefore illegal.
“A lot of young people are desperate to return to the office to mix with people and understand the culture of the company that they’re working for. They need an office environment for the good of their mental health. They require a structure to their day, whereby they get out of bed at a certain time, get dressed and travel to their place of work.
“On the other hand, many older people like the idea of working from home so they can achieve a better work-life balance. As a result, some companies have had to downsize their office space.
“The other issue is that if older workers are working from home, who is going to mentor the younger workers to help them develop in their roles? This could cause problems for companies later down the line.
“If people are working from home, employers have a duty of care to ensure their staff are set up to work safely and efficiently. For instance, do they have a proper desk, adjustable chair and height-adjustable PC monitor to prevent neck and back strain injuries?
“Some companies are actively encouraging staff to work from home but giving them the option to come into the office. However, some employers are saying that their staff can only come to work if they’re double-jabbed; this could be seen as discriminatory and therefore illegal. We’re encouraging companies not to do this and instead to make their workplaces as safe as possible by having an on-site testing facility, for example, and having hand sanitiser available.” With society beginning to reopen again, the number of COVID cases has started to rise steeply. This has resulted in many workers having to self-isolate, which has caused major problems for some businesses, particularly those in the retail and hospitality industries which have had to organise staff cover at extremely short notice.
This has proved exceptionally challenging at a time when retail managers are doing their level best to attract customers back into shops.
Tim Stirling, Centre Director at Land Securities – owner of The Galleria shopping centre in Hatfield – says: “In recent years there’s been an increase in online retail but there’s still a place for physical shops. Many brands want to retain a physical presence to be visible in their localities. Now there’s an opportunity for outlets to look for further retail units or pop-up space to complement their online offering.
“The pandemic has forced shopping centres to reimagine the retail environment. Some landlords may look into the feasibility of offering turnover leases, which would enable retailers and landlords shares in the
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He says: “It’s about giving people the confidence that we’re doing all the right things to keep people safe. Demand is strong because people in England like their bars, restaurants and trips away. If international travel decreases due to COVID restrictions, this will provide opportunities for the staycation market in the UK. People are getting sick of 100% virtual communication and would like a hybrid model of virtual and face-to-face contact.
“Opening up again has caused us some major challenges. With COVID cases rising, a lot of our staff have been pinged by the NHS app and have had to self-isolate at a time when we need more staff to service a huge rise in our leisure business. We’ve had to hastily arrange cover at short notice but this has proved difficult, especially as this industry has a skills shortage anyway. Many staff who’ve come from overseas have gone back to their home countries. Brexit has really damaged the hospitality and leisure industries. We’ve recruited 45 people in the last eight weeks and we still need more.
success of popular brands. Some brands may find that they have too much or too little space so they may have to downsize or upsize accordingly.
“It will be a different environment in the post-pandemic age but I can’t imagine retail going 100% online. People have missed the engagement with their community, family and friends. They welcome being able to come to shopping centres and meet in person again.
“At the Galleria, footfall is running at about 20% lower than pre-COVID levels but we’re seeing a big increase in the conversion rates, where footfall leads to sales, and a large rise in average transaction values. Recently we had 2,500 people in our Odeon Cinema to coincide with the launch of the film, Black Widow. This proves that if you have the right product at the right price, people will come here.”
Despite the lifting of most COVID restrictions on July 19, most indoor shopping centres and some bars and restaurants are still advising people to wear face masks and use hand sanitiser to prevent the spread of the virus. Rafi Bejerano, Director of AB Hotels – which owns Sopwell House Hotel & Spa in St Albans – said it was important to ensure that staff and customers feel safe and secure. “We’re also being hit by supply chain issues. Delivery firms are struggling with driver shortages, and there have been delays in sourcing products such as towels for the hotel rooms.
“We’re trying to plan ahead as best we can. We’re hoping for our first decentsized business conference in September and our leisure market is booming.
The pandemic has forced companies in our industry to improve their offering. If you deliver a good product with a good service at a fair price, you can still thrive.”
The pandemic has forced us all to think about different ways of doing things. Ashbourne Insurance, for example, has staggered staff arrival and leaving times at the office to minimise the spread of the virus. The company is also encouraging staff to maintain social distancing measures when travelling through the workplace and has reviewed office lay-outs and processes to enable staff to work further apart from each other.
Peter Smits at Ashbourne Insurance says: “I’ve challenged all of our staff to think about their environment and empowered them to do the right thing. We’ve encouraged them to use remote working tools to avoid in-person meetings and asked them to minimise the number of unnecessary visits to our offices. “This hybrid way of working seems to be an appropriate way forward for us but for other companies the situation might be different. For those that have asked all of their staff to work from home, there may be insurance implications for their unoccupied premises.
“Some insurers may automatically reduce cover for premises that remain unoccupied. Many of them will acknowledge the continued efforts to control the virus and allow full cover to continue but our advice is to check your insurer or broker first.
“If your insurer agrees to maintaining full cover, there’ll be some conditions attached. For example, the insurer may insist that you inspect the premises at least once a week, remove refuse and waste materials from inside the premises, and switch off all mains services apart from the electricity needed to maintain alarm systems, water and heating systems for sprinklered premises.”
The key message here is that businesses should be prepared. Hertfordshire County Council has been busy planning and preparing for a new normal in which working life is markedly different to its existence before the pandemic.
Owen Mapley, Chief Executive at the Council, says: “Offices are not the only places where collaboration can take place. We’ve now developed a strategy and vision that encompasses a hybrid model of working. A one-size-fits all approach won’t work for us because we have such a diverse workforce. We empower teams to work out what’s the best way of working for them, to deliver the best outcomes for our service users. Outcomes are what is important to us, not where people work.
Owen warns that working from home may not be suitable for everyone, however.
“For example, young people who house share or live with their parents might be working from a small bedroom, which might not be appropriate,” he says. “They might not have a suitable office set-up at home or benefit personally and professionally from the option to return to face-to-face contact with managers or colleagues. Also, some teams, such as those who work in care settings, need to be physically present to do their jobs.
“Flexibility is going to be the watchword going forward, even when all COVID restrictions have been lifted. As a Council we’re constantly evolving and modernising; we’re working hard to help staff navigate several change programmes that are underway. Beyond Today is our brand for these programmes; it encourages everyone to lift their heads above their inbox, and not just focus on the day-to-day tasks but also to plan for the short, medium and long-term. This will allow us to deliver even better services to Hertfordshire residents and businesses.
