Back to the office

Generic guidelinesBasic facilitiesThe basic principle underlying all precautionary measures to be undertaken is to consider every person and surface a possible source of infections including yourself says Dr Dillon DSouza ENT consultant and head and neck surgeon Jaslok Hospital and Desas Hospital From the entry to the exit point company facilities have to undergo a completeoverhaul These include Disinfecting the premises before and after each day Installing footpedal sanitisers Conducting temperature checks Mandatory usage of masks Keeping an oncall doctor on standby Monitoring the usage of lifts to ensure distancing Changing seating layoutDr Dillon DSouzaTo make things easier top firms like Axis Bank Godrej and Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Bank of Baroda BoB and Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd MOFSL have been sending out simple presentations with quirky hashtags and signage to guide employees about the changes as well as encourage them to follow the new measures These include tutorials on how to use masks and gloves and how to maintain social distancing even inside the workplaceIn line with the government guidelines most of these employers are also rolling out policies for a combination of inoffice and athome work to ensure the staggered return of employees According to the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA guidelines released on April 20 companies should also maintain a list of COVID19 hospitals nearby and encourage employees to use the Aarogya Setu appFor the employerCustomers maintain social distancing at an Axis Bank branchHuman resourcesWe have not been in this situation before And no one has past experience with transitioning back employees so the process needs to be designed by senior leaders And this falls directly in the remit of the HR team that will lead the effort says Dr Shalini Lal organisational development thinker and coauthor of The Secret Life of Organizations Hachette India Here are some policies that the HR departments across industries will have to keep in mindDr Shalini Lal Sudhir Dhar Harpreet Kaur and Milind JadhavAttendanceleaveStaggered return This seems to be the policy that workplaces will be following once the lockdown ends while keeping in mind that the MHA guidelines state that persons above the age of 65 and those with kids below five years should be encouraged to workfrom homeHarpreet Kaur senior vice president and head corporate personnel and administration at Godrej amp Boyce Mfg Co Ltd says Based on the government order on the percentage of employees who can come to work we will continue with both inoffice and WFH options Rosters will be based on the criticality of work required to be carried out in premises travel distance mode of transport etc Meanwhile Axis Bank is rolling out a threephase return policy In the first phase 10 per cent employees will return in large offices followed by 30 per cent in the second phase and 60 per cent in the third subject to norms laid down fordifferent zonesSudhir Dhar executive director and head HR at MOFSL tells us that employees will need to consider the following questions before returning mdash has my manager asked me to report Is anyone from my family quarantined Am I fit It will also depend on the temperature of employees while entering officeAttendance system This will have to take the nocontact route and companies may need to replace biometricsbased systems with other arrangements like apps that record attendance once the employee is in the GPS coverage area of the office premisesLeave Employers will need to deal with the inevitable demand for holiday leaves once employees can travel Life and corporate coach Milind Jadhav feels that employers will have to be sensitive After all the wellbeing of employees comes first Employers cant have a blanket policy on this otherwise theyre inviting loss of productivityMeetingsInside the workplace Most employers and employees we spoke to tell us that the past two months have taught them that entire teams dont need to huddle for every single issue Joydeep Dutta Roy chief general manager and head HR integration and strategic HR at Bank of Baroda says they have completely stopped holding physical meetings even for those working at some of the branches Facetoface meetings are only allowed between four to five employees in meeting rooms by maintaining distance Virtual meetings are recommended for more than five people and with guests and visitors informs DharSocial distancing norms being followed at a Bank of Baroda branchOnfield meetingsconsumer interactions What happens to industries like public relations PR or advertising which are driven by client meetings or the banking sector where consumer interaction cant be avoided We have provided employees with masks and sanitisers at every workstation Cashiers have to mandatorily use gloves Customers are allowed entry in the branch only if they wear masks and after they undergo thermal checks We have mandated distance between employees and customers at counters says Dutta RoyJoydeep Dutta Roy and Akshara LalwaniAkshara Lalwani CEO and founder of PR and brand solutions firm Communicate India shares that they have explained to clients that all matters do not require physical meetings While currently we are strictly managing with virtual meetings when the lockdown ends we will hold physical meetings on a need basis Lalwani addsOffice etiquettePersonal hygiene What should an employee do to ensure their safety and those of their coworkers Jadhav opines that social distancing should not be looked upon as a pain but as the new normal to change our conduct in office Dr Pritam Moon general physician Wockhardt Hospital Mira Road says the most important thing that employees can and should do is wear masks Masks are the only thing that might be able to save you apart from distancing It also keeps you from touching your face Wash your hands instead of using sanitiser if you have the option to do so as its more effective Also disinfect your personal belongings and desk areahe addsHuawei employees eat lunch in a cafeteria at the companys headquarters in Shenzhen China post the lockdown PicGetty ImagesDr DSouza suggests we avoid touching public utility systems including coffee photocopy and printing machines or even common doors and railings Avoid sharing things with others and use hair as well as face masksEmployee behaviour Manuals being sent out by companies including Axis Bank Godrej amp Boyce BoB and MOFSL mandate wearing of masks and gloves social distancing inside office premises keeping in touch through call text email or apps and greeting with a namaste They prohibit any kind of socialising A paperless office has been initiated and bank employees are provided training to work smoothly using etools and apps said Dutta RoyOne must be mindful to greet with a namaste instead of a handshakeFoodWhile Dhar tells us that they have encouraged employees to carry their own food and water and eat at their desk Rajkamal Vempati head HR at Axis Bank shares that cafeteria timings will be staggeredDr Pritam Moon and Rajkamal VempatiEmployees need to hang out online rather than in cafeterias and have been asked to get their own food and cutlery she addsHiringreturn of furloughed membersIn case HRs plan to hire staff for teams that have been shortstaffed prior to or during the lockdown the process needs to go online The past few weeks have shown us that video calls are as good a medium as any to communicate and HR departments need to accept this as the new way of doing things When you recruit you need to keep in mind not just the competency of the candidate but also the character both of which can be gauged online says Jadhav Dr Lal meanwhile suggests that those hired during the lockdown should be brought in to the office if possible so that they dont feel left out During the lockdown many employees were placed on leave without pay Company heads and HR will also need to help them get reoriented and allay their fears and concernsPhysical meetings if absolutely necessary should follow all protocolsWorklife balanceDrawing from the fact that some state governments have suspended labour laws for the next few years it is expected that businesses might get exploitative to combat the recessive phase or just to make up for the WFH loss Dr Miloni Sanghvi a psychologist and outreach associate at MPower The Centre Mumbai feels that to tackle this pressure employers and employees must view themselves as part of the same familyDr Miloni SanghviOrganisations must practise transparency As we come out of this lockdown businesses should place a greater emphasis on ethical practices Rather than mindlessly extending work hours or having employees work on weekends which goes against the employment contract employers should collaborate with employees on devising an extended rota together Employees too must be geared to expect changes she addsMental headspaceAfter more than two months of working from home going back to a physical setup might be a jarring experience Kaur says that Godrej amp Boyce plans to gradually ramp up work for this reason We are encouraging employees to come up with ideas on how we can contribute to lighten things up post the lockdown she shares Here are some other tips shared by coach Jadhav and Dr Sanghvi Dont clock long hours for the first few days and factor in some drop in productivity Once you get into a rhythm and get the flow back you will notice an increase in energy levels In the first week after the lockdown ends relate to what your colleagues must be dealing with and support each other Employers need to be sensitive about this and encourage workers to open up about their feelings Although you may be going back to the same workplace a lot will change Be attentive to the internal and external shifts that have taken place Employees will have to manage their time and more importantly their energy mindfully to make sure they compartmentalise work life and personal lifeOffice entertainmentThe lockdown has been a difficult phase with reports of salary cuts and layoffs across sectors Employers will need to keep their staff motivated through office entertainment without coming across as insensitive Dr Sanghvi suggests selecting appropriate themes and activities that garner gratitude This should come with an acknowledgement of the challenges that have resulted from this economic downturn Be mindful of expenditures for these added luxuries Its grossly insensitive to slash salaries to cut costs while putting money towards office entertainment she says Jadhav urges employers to also look for costeffective options like online antakshari that can be engagingJaspreet BindraUpskillingMany employees might have to take on additional responsibilities because of the reduced staff strength during this time Moreover since digital communication and etools are now absolute essentials companies should use this time to upskill employees Jaspreet Bindra founder of digital transformation advisory firm Digital Matters and author of Tech Whisperer Penguin India says that employees need to have a working knowledge of collaboration and conferencing software like MS Teams Zoom Slack etc This will be as important as knowing Word or Excel or Powerpoint Collaboration and teaming across remote locations to prepare for work from anywhere is another skill which must be learnt he addsFacetoface learning should be limited to small groups HR will need to reimagine both behavioural and functional training modules to suit the hybrid model of working It is not sufficient to just take what is offline and deliver the same online Trainers need to be comfortable teaching online too Bindra explainsExperts feel that the lockdown has given rise to a hybrid culture a combination of WFH and inoffice work which MOFSL employees have been practising Wfh backupThe lifting of the lockdown in a city like Mumbai might clash with the arrival of the monsoon Moreover there are reports of a second wave of the virus that might hit us WFH is not going to go away even after the lockdown It will become a way of life with a certain percentage of employees always working from home The future is hybrid working which firms should prepare for predicts BindraSmart hacks to distancing If a boardroom has 20 chairs remove 10 to ensure that a crowd isnt encouraged to gather in the room Work on creating fun signage and hashtags to encourage employees to follow social distancing norms MOFSL has a JanHitarthJari checklist for employees while Axis Bank is using phrases like chessboard seating and 99degF is the new cool to deliver the message Create rosters carefully to ensure that entry and exit points are not crowded with people at the start and end of the dayAdmin amp support staffVisitor check and securityBoth Dr DSouza and Dr Moon suggest that visitors or guests should not be allowed on office premises Dr DSouza suggests that if necessary companies can designate a spot or room for meetings with limited number of visitors preferably on the ground floor but that too has to be disinfected after each meeting Companies like MOFSL and Axis Bank are asking employees to not invite visitors to the office premises They are also keeping a tab on delivery personnel agents courier services etc entering the premises Although antiviral sprays have been suggested by many to sanitise goods entering the office Dr DSouza says The only kind of spray effective against the virus is that which releases large amounts of chlorine which affects the lungs So if you are using it there needs to be an open space with access to good sunlight and ventilationOften and especially in larger workspaces security might turn lax However this will need to change to ensure stricter access and control of nonstaff personnel in the premisesIf visitors are allowed into an office they should also go through thermal screening or temperature checks like at this Godrej and Boyce facility right all points of common contact in the office should be disinfected Sanitisation and housekeeping staffDr Moon suggests that apart from the seating area washrooms pantries entry and exit points lifts door knobs railings stairways and all points of common contact should be regularly sanitised Employees should disinfect their own desks too before they start working and before they leave he says In its manual to employees a private sector bank has stated that employees should use doormats dipped in disinfectant at the entrance points to clean their shoe soles before entering the building If companies are getting people to service machines whether ACs or printers it should be done two to three days in advance when nobody is in office after which the premises should be disinfected says Dr DSouza Companies should keep an eye out for the safety of housekeeping staff especially those involved incollecting garbage They should be given appropriate PPE gearExperts are of the opinion that an effective plan for public transport needs to be worked out before people can return to their workplacesTransportWhile public transportation might take time to resume after the lockdown ends and wont be a safe option its one of the main reasons employees may be hesitant to return to the workplace Companies like MOFSL are encouraging workers to return only if they have their own vehicle or use a carpool service in which maximum two people should travel Employees have been advised to use personal vehicles only as far as possible or make carpool arrangements with only one or two people at any given point of time In cases where both are not possible the bank has made arrangements by organising buses or hired vehicles However the number of persons inside the vehicles is restricted as per government norms and to ensure social distancing said Dutta Roy of Bank of BarodaPolicyRevised floor planWhen you return to office chances are that your desk might not be the same You might have to even say goodbye to your work neighbour who could be shifted two to three seats away thanks to social distancing norms Architect Pranav Naik of Studio Pomegranate suggests Workers should leave at least two desks empty between each other and have a small removable barricade in between so no one inadvertently crosses each others path Cafeterias and large break rooms could also be used to fan out the workers across the premises Naik also reiterates that workplaces should bring back employees in a staggered manner to avoid crowding which is unavoidable in smaller offices in Mumbai In its manual to employees Axis Bank stated that they will be introducing an app for employees to book a seat in their large offices before they leave for work from homeIts mandatory to have a health insurance to go back to officeInsuranceInsurance expert Kapil Mehta says health insurance is mandatory if youre going back to work Every single health insurance in the market covers the hospitalisation charges of COVID19 Companies need to offer it to employees Additionally firms can opt for variants that offer fixed benefits if youre diagnosed positive to effectively take care of all expenses he saidKapil Mehta and Pranav Naik Containment zones and exit strategyEmployers can send a guide to employees demarcating what is allowed in the three green red and orange zones In case a worker tests positive Dr DSouza suggests complete quarantine of everyone in the office for 14 days HRs should send clear guidelines to employees to avoid panic According to the May 18 MOHFW guidelines any staff suffering from flulike illness should not attend office and seek medical advice from local health authorities If one or few persons who share a closed office space isare found suffering from symptoms place the ill person in a room where they are isolated Provide a mask till heshe is examined by a doctor Report to concerned health authorities Helpline 1075 will be immediately informedFirms should invest in cyber risk quantification systems during this timeDigital cleansingsecurityThe office space isnt the only area that needs to be sanitised IT teams will also have to cleanse all the office systems that people have been connected to from home since workers might have downloaded software outside of their office work on them Organisations should do a complete check of their employees systems when they return from WFH We have seen instances where chat apps games etc that were downloaded were filled with malwares that affected sensitive office data Workers should always download applications from the official store and not from the vendor website or third party stores especially when using office systems says data security expert and cofounder of Lucideus Rahul TyagiRahul Tyagi There are many risks involved in confidential data leaving the office premises and being accessed remotely by employees adds Tyagi The efficiency of existing privacy systems will need to be tested to see if new ones need to be put in place There can be various scenarios of data loss if systems are compromised and this is exactly why organisations need to invest in cyber risk quantification platforms For example if an employees system is compromised such platforms can detect this anomaly and prompt the security teams he addsBe careful of central air conditionersArchitects and doctors both warn of the ill effects of central airconditioning in offices The virus survives for at least three weeks in cold conditions inside the ducts says Dr DSouza adding ventilation must be available in offices Naik suggests that offices should retrofit HEPA high efficiency particulate air filters to their airconditioning systems HEPA filters will catch all small particles including most virus particles Baffles of ACs should also be installed or vents should be turned away from the direction of workers he addsFor the employeeCommute careHR departments of companies should provide stepbystep guidelines on how staff should care for themselves during and after their daily commute Dr Moon suggests that employees wear masks and gloves at all times from the moment they step out of home Shoes and bags must be disinfected upon reaching home and clothes must be washedBlocks marked on the ground for employees to stand apart at a Godrej amp Boyce facility At the end of the day care should be taken that not all employees rush to leave work together as otherwise it may lead to crowding in stairways lifts and exit paths Hand sanitising stations should be installed at the entry and near high contact surfaces according to the MOHFW guidelinesIllustrationsUday MohiteWhat to carry to office The contents of your office bag are likely to change post the lockdown Dr Moon suggests keeping belongings to a minimum to avoid exposing too many of them to the virus If you have a laptop or computer at work avoid carrying a laptop Wear the mask Keep a sanitiser your lunch phone and water in the bag Consider packing each item in sanitised plastic covers or bags he adds Consider creating a digital signature to avoid using pens and touching paperWhat happens to coworking spacesMumbai has a number of coworking spaces some of which double up as cafeacutes Coworking space WeWork which has 12 units in Mumbai with members including businesses and freelancers has currently kept all offices shut All our buildings are being fumigated and sanitised We are encouraging all members employees and vendor personnel to practise social distancing We have also suspended all internal and external events indefinitely Spaces in common areas and conference rooms are being reviewed and modified to ensure a minimum of six feet distance between two people We have also mandated temperature screenings outside our buildings for all members said head of operations Raghuvinder Singh Pathania To provide an extra layer of security in terms of access WeWork will also implement business hour restrictionsA semiempty WeWork unit in Mumbai where markings have been made on the floor to maintain distanceWhat does this mean for the future of coworking spaces Many companies depending on their nature of businesses will reduce their dependence on utilisation of offices and consider flexible working schedules We believe this situation is an opportunity as companies would not want to invest in fixed assets like real estate which may result in them operating from spaces like ours to save overhead costs adds Singh PathaniaRaghuvinder Singh PathaniaCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news