The benefits of being back in the office

Around the country businesses have been preparing for the return of their employees by introducing health and safety measures. Here two workers describe their experiences

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Jake Holyoak, 26, works as head of outreach at Mediaworks, a digital marketing agency based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

While Holyoak, below, admits he had “obvious worries” about working in the office again, he says his company handled the transition “perfectly”. 

Staff were given a full safety briefing on arrival and a phased return was implemented to ensure not all teams are in the office at the same time.

A number of health and safety regulations have also been put in place to protect employees. The two-metre social distancing rule applies throughout the office, while there are limits to how many people can congregate in meeting rooms and in the kitchen.

“Everyone on my team is super happy with the measures in place, and it’s great to be back,” Holyoak says.

“I think, mentally, it helps too,” he continues. “It’s been a lonely few months during lockdown so it’s great to be around some familiar faces again.”

Overall, getting back into the office post-lockdown has been a positive experience.

“We’re a really creative team so being able to bounce ideas around between each other is crucial,” he says.

“We’ve noticed results from my team’s campaigns have gone up ten-fold since returning.”

Holyoak says the only significant change to his working routine has been having to adapt his commute. “I used to car-share with a colleague, so we’re not doing that at the moment. I drive in separately,” he explains.

The best part of being back in the office he says is “seeing everyone and spending time with other people.” Holyoak had been due to get married abroad in August but owing to the pandemic, his wedding had to be postponed. It was “a huge blow,” he says – but adds, “the normality of being able to work has helped massively.”

Five ways business are keeping you safe

Feeling apprehensive about returning to the office is understandable, but it shouldn’t be a reason to stay away. Businesses are putting multiple health and safety measures in place to ensure offices remain Covid-19 secure. These are a few of them.

Enforcing the two-metre distance

With desks spaced apart, floor tape in place, and reminder signs displayed around the office, employers are committed to ensuring workers remain at least two metres away from colleagues at all times.

Providing hand sanitising facilities

You may have an individual hand sanitiser on your desk or there could be a hand sanitising station nearby. Either way, offices are providing multiple ways for workers to sanitise their hands – in the main spaces and bathrooms – throughout the working day.

Reviewing meeting procedures

In-person meetings will be arranged only if remote sessions are not feasible, and the two-metre distance will be kept at all times. Meetings should take place in well-ventilated areas, or even outside, with hand sanitising facilities readily available and colleagues prohibited from sharing equipment, such as stationery.

Organising an arrival and departure schedule

Depending on the numbers expected in, some companies may implement an arrival and departure policy so as to spread out how many people enter and exit the office at any one time. One-way flows will be designated where doable, and reception desks shielded by screens.

Supporting NHS Test and Trace

Workplaces which experience high visitor numbers – for example, community centres or town halls – will support the NHS Test and Trace service by gathering data, including contact details, from all those who enter the premises. This will ensure that should anyone test positive for Covid-19, those they came into contact with on-site can be traced and warned to self-isolate.

“Being back in – it’s just so good”

Charlie Semmence, 25, works for Future Present, a presentation design agency based in York. 

The health and safety measures her company had put in place helped to ease her concerns when Semmence returned to the office.

Desks have been distanced – “so everyone’s on their own little island”– and all employees have been allocated individual hand sanitisers. Communal areas are wiped down after use, and only three people are allowed in the boardroom at any one time.

“Being back in – it’s just so good,” says Semmence, above, which she largely puts down to the social aspect, but she also cites reliable internet and office equipment as other notable benefits.

 “You can’t really replicate the social interactions of an office when you’re at home.

Back to the office checklist

Revise your office routine to make sure it keeps you as safe as possible:  

Consider how you get to work – is walking or cycling an option? Can you walk the last leg of the journey by getting off a few stops earlier? The aim is to devise a journey that limits close contact with others. But if travelling by public transport for the entirety is unavoidable, might it possible to do so outside of peak times? Ask your employer if you can adapt your working hours to accommodate a less-crowded commute.Carry two masksMasks are easily misplaced, so it makes sense to carry a spare. Face coverings are obligatory when travelling on public transport, as well as in taxis, and must cover your mouth and nose. You can buy them online or in shops around the UK – or else, you can make your own.

Pack a portable hand sanitising station

To ensure you’re not caught out – like when eating lunch on the go – pack your own hand cleaning kit. This could include a bottle of hand sanitiser, a pack of tissues and a small bag to store used wipes until you can throw them away. 

Devise a safe ‘Plan B’

With transport delays and cancellations often unavoidable, it’s a good idea to prepare an alternative way of getting to and from work that also ensures your safety. This might entail taking a different route or a different mode of transport at a different time. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the relevant new information – such as train schedules or taxi numbers – in advance, so you can change tack in the event of a delay without getting caught up in the crowds.

“We’re a creative agency and there are lots of programmes you have to have on your computer,” she explains. “Being in the office, you already have those programmes loaded up so you’re not having to download things or log in in different locations.”

Her commute is another highlight. “I walk to work and walk back from work, and it is nice to just have that time when you’re outside, getting a bit of exercise,” she says.

Semmence is back in the office full-time now, although her company work a four-day week, which means all staff members are only in together for three working days. “On Monday and Friday, we switch who’s in,” she says.

And the best thing about being back? For Semmence, it’s working with her team. “When we’re in the same place, [we] will collaborate and ask each other for advice on small things – which is difficult to do when it’s all on a video call.”

For more information go to gov.uk/check-how-to-return-to-work-safely