Let’s face it. If you take a look at the most affected population on the whole planet when it comes to the virus, you’ll see that it’s the mega-cities that are worse affected. Places where people are dense. It’s where the virus thrives. It’s understandable, of course. Where there’s more human-human interaction, the possibility of spreading the virus is high. Top of the list is the cities in the states of New York and California.
As a result, people’s behaviors are starting to change accordingly. Being trapped in the confines of a small apartment can surely have a negative effect on city dwellers for one. That can breed the longing for fresh air and verdant landscapes. True enough, many city dwellers are reportedly moving away to choose the more rural, countryside option.
That kind of reaction is also playing out in many office scenarios nationwide. The majority of office workers returning to work opt to have lesser occupancy in the office. Of course, such a decision reeks of fear of the virus. Many feel that the lesser dense the population inside, the lower the risk of getting infected.
Certainly, reducing occupancy is a good start in mitigating virus risks. You can split up work hours so smaller teams can take turns in shifts. But there are other ways, you can future-proof your office for returning workers. In this regard, you’d be better off with technology on your side.
Below are three ways technology can help future-proof your office to make it more viable for returning employees.
Touchless Technology
For many, touch is a good way of reassuring a fellow worker. For a mother, it’s her tool to appease her child. But as everyone is aware by now, touch can be the very method the virus can be passed.
Indeed, this can breed a lot of worrying knowing there are many things everyone in the office commonly touches: shared office equipment, bathrooms, office supplies, and doorknobs. Whether you like it or not, doorknobs stand out like a sore thumb in that list.
It’s why going touchless when it comes to doorknobs would be a good strategic decision. Everyone, even the pizza delivery guy, is bound to touch it. You can use keycards. Even better, you can use smartphones instead of keys. A good way to do realize that is to connect with proven-and-tested suppliers of top-grade RFID door knob systems such as bannersolutions.com.
True enough, mobile access is the #1 preferred method of access for office workers. That should allow you to go over that pain point with ease. Plus, you can easily track who comes and goes with mobile.
Automating Health Verification Procedures
Well, you’ll have to find a way to ensure people who come in your door are beaming with health. If not, you could compromise everyone in the office. This is where automated wellness procedures can go a long way in getting you the result you want.
For example, you can rely on visitor management software. Any visitor must fill out a set of questionnaires and/or waivers to get access to the building. As the integration is completely digital, managing the process can be done remotely. That should take a lot of burden from HR or security personnel.
Moreover, temperature screenings via infrared technology can be integrated with access controls. People who may have higher-than-normal temperatures may not be able to unlock doors.
It’s also a useful methodology if you’re expecting more than usual visitors to your office. You can add automated wellness procedures as part of your check-in process. Also, you can make the most of a mobile attestation form to achieve your needed results.
Doing all these can give your returning employees the assurances they need to work and be productive. It’s hard to focus when you’re always looking over your shoulders.
Proactive Building Security Handling
The virus has created a lot of challenges that would otherwise not be present without it. There’s office security. How can you ensure your office is safe if you need to temporarily close? You’ll never know when the virus situation worsens. So you may have to close at a moment’s notice. Such unpredictability can put a lot of weight on your shoulder when it comes to building security.
And how about employees who may need access to the office when it’s closed? How are you to cater to them?
This is where technology once again becomes your knight in shining armor. The answer is remote access. Couple that with a cloud-based platform, and you have a way to open and close your office even when your hundred of miles away.
Such features as remote unlock/lock, user credentialing, door schedule alterations, and video management are possible even when you’re not around. What’s more, you get real-time reporting about activities in the area even when you’re not there. So you know what’s happening in your office. To keep everyone around you safe and sound.
