Re-opening the office
The challenge of returning to the “known.”
Just a couple of months ago, many of us enjoyed a workspace in which team meetings were held in a single room, where face-to-face client meetings would take place, and employees could eat lunch together. After weeks of working from home, many of us are now returning back to very different offices.
When the pandemic hit, many of us experienced a drastic shift in their work environment as everything began to move online. Over the past quarter or so, we have been learning how to work in a virtual environment. However, while this change presented many challenges, the majority of us who started working from home had the privilege to be in an environment that was deemed safe. Yes, we were physically distancing by working from home, but our freedom to move around the space in which we set up our office was generally not confined.
A new challenge presents itself in the current situation as offices begin to re-open. While we are returning to the “known” office, it remains a new environment that we have to navigate. In fact, the very idea of it being a “known” place makes it a challenge — we have pre-existing ideas on what interactions in an office space look like and are now tasked with returning back to this place we know, while leaving behind the traditions we have been used to prior to the pandemic. We have to re-assess our traditions in the office space and replace many with new habits that allow for continued interaction while upholding public health recommendations.
We have pre-existing ideas on what interactions in an office space look like and are now tasked with returning back to this place we know, while leaving behind the traditions we have been used to prior to the pandemic.
Successful re-opening requires that we take care of our co-workers’ safety as much as we take care of our own. In addition to ensuring that we keep our own personal offices sanitized, we need to be mindful of our interactions in places frequented by co-workers. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we leave a space sanitized after using it, being courteous towards our colleagues. Employers will also realize that colleagues may be at different stages when it comes to their readiness to be “back” in the office. Some of us may feel comfortable sharing a meeting room sitting 2 meters apart, while others may still prefer to “Zoom” in virtually from their office next door. Accommodating these differences ensures that team members are comfortable at their work place, which is critical during these times.
At Brass Dome Ventures Ltd. (BDV), we are slowly making the transition back to our office in Edmonton. The safety and well-being of our employees and clients is our top priority, which is why we have implemented strict measures and guidelines to ensure that our workspace remains safe. We are very excited to work under one roof again, but we will continue to exercise caution, following public health recommendations to ensure that we keep our communities, families, and team safe.
