Gartner Lessons on Covid Back To Work and Workplace Safety - ideal for Microsoft customers
Updated: Jul 24
The struggle to return to work in the new norm started in Asia where the Gartner team point to the new norm, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
The advice is solid and worth a read for HR directors
The one thing for sure is that it will be an 6-18 month balancing act
Based on vaccine arrival
Based on knowledge of the virus spread
Based on a population wide antibody test and insight
All the medical advice is "this is not a quick fix"
Gartner point clearly to these three vital players on the board and their challenges with "Back to Work Safely"
According to Gartner here is the "name most likely in the frame" for making these key decisions.
94% CEO
82% Head of HR
53% Legal Counsel
48% CFO
44% Business Unit Leader
29% the board
Broadly HR and Legal are now trying to ascertain:
1. HR : How are employees going to be safe "door to door"?
2. Legal: How do I keep up with rapidly evolving "guidelines" that change by country by day/week?
It's not surprising 72% of companies haven't made a decision yet!
The government will tackle "Workplace guidelines" due out this week PREVIEW
Transport
The transport to work factor, is a matter for national and local governments.
Avoiding it, would still still seem prudent to 95%, who can work productively on Teams or Zoom etc.
Visitor Management
1. For Touchless check-in, decongested receptions, 100% visitor coverage read these two articles
https://www.communicationedge.vc/post/microsoft-based-visitor-management-touchless
https://www.communicationedge.vc/post/workplace-distancing-the-suggestions-for-microsoft-based-cto-s
They deal with who to turn to and how to re-engineer the safe workplace specifically for Microsoft based organisations.
Both Vgreet from VPod and Proxyclick have two very good solutions: A summary of the Vgreet solution is below:
Assigned Desk Seating - Broad Summary
1. 6ft or more apart
2. Not opposite each other
3. No hot desking
That means you need to manage or book desks, manage deep santisation, know what has and hasn't been deep cleaned, release and make it bookable.
That's all achievable quickly, ie in 4 weeks however demand is extremely high and growing by the hour.
https://www.communicationedge.vc/post/workplace-distancing-the-suggestions-for-microsoft-based-cto-s
The 6 Key things you need to manage - download the brochure here.
Useful additional features in the new desk APP due in June
Why Microsoft Customer will like the desk solution
No 1 Condeco are a Microsoft Gold Partner and work closely with the Redmond based Microsoft product team = peace of mind.
No 2 The Cloud solution is based on Azure, so it scales globally and can easily manage the "back to work" of 100,000's of desks.
No 3 Software only
There is no need to deploy the hardware in lockdown just a floor plan and desk licenses and 3/4 weeks of implementation and you have delivered the safe workplace.
No 4
Easy Mobile interface
Simple select the seat, pick the time, and confirm booking.
The subtle message, your reinforcing desk spacing to physical tolerance set by the government.
Hot Desks
Free seating or non addressing will be banned for many months.
Look for a software only (fast to install), globally scalable solution, that can integrate with visitor management systems for less than £1 per desk per week.
Managing the Safe Workplace Policy - 10 tips
Relogix are the only folk we know, that have developed the dashboard.
