As the closures of businesses are being lifted and everyone is going back to work, it is important that businesses have an efficient plan to go back to the office, keeping everyone safe while having the most productive and secure environment. After attending a webinar hosted by the The Valley Economic alliance, I recently spoke to the key note speaker, Sally Zesut the Vice President in Office Sales and Leasing at Avison Young about the first 60 days after your return to the office. Her presentation covered many different aspects you should be aware of when returning to the office to follow guidelines of COVID-19 safety. Here's a brief summary of what you need to know as we all return to the office.

Some of her main points included space planning and cleaning. Practicing physical distancing is still the number one priority any where we are. Keeping 6 feet or 2 meters of distancing including moving around office desks or keeping a rotation of users in and out of the office could be made in order to follow these guidelines. Some advice included to limit the use of conference rooms and any confidential meetings. Have one-way traffic flow through the office establishing one entrance for the space and all exiting done away from the entrance. Also, make a log of all people inside and entering the office and register contact details of visitors.

A new normal took effect as COVID-19 began pushing a lot of resources to an online world. A big change was moving communication platforms to an online base to schedule meetings, have video conferencing, and even online collaboration. Their recommendation stills stands as they are advising to leverage video conference calls where possible, even if users are returning to the office. If a meeting requires in person contact, consider standing and minimizing touch points.

I would also like to add for your technology equipment, backups are essential especially working remotely. Phishing sites are up 350% since the start of the pandemic, according to Google, and any cyber threat that is successful can greatly affect your business. Avison Young recommends to consult your IT department to make sure that backups are running for all devices in your business, that way if a disaster were to occur, you would be able to get the business back up on your feet as soon as possible.

It is also recommended everywhere for individuals to be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces throughout the office.

If you are interested in speaking with Sally Zesut from Avison Young, please contact their office at (213) 935-7430 and ask for Sally. Be sure to mention that Integritechs referred you over to her based off of the Returning to the Workplace Amidst COVID-19 webinar!