In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the concern surrounding workplace safety has centered on employees’ peace of mind and comfort and on maintaining productivity despite protective measures.
However, property managers have a critical role to play in ensuring, on a more holistic level, their tenants feel comfortable enough in their space to resume in-person work.
If steps aren’t taken to ensure that’s the case, tenants might choose to continue leveraging remote work in perpetuity or to seek out other options for a brick-and-mortar space that more closely align with their views on workplace safety, technology solutions that encourage it, and more.
Fortunately, there’s an answer. By partnering with a committed audiovisual integrator like Electrosonic from design to implementation and beyond, property owners, managers and landlords can ensure their tenants are provided for and feel at ease when working from their physical location in the “new normal.”
Highlighting the Current Desire for Workplace Safety Solutions
The numbers bear out tenants’ perceived desire for safer workplaces.
In fact, a PwC survey conducted in May of more than 1,000 American workers reported some startling statistics, including:
- 70% of respondents said that something would prevent them from returning to work at the time they were surveyed.
- More than half – 51%, to be exact – cited a fear of getting sick as a major obstacle facing any potential return to working in a physical office.
- 45% and 40%, respectively, listed physical layout alterations to promote effective distancing between workers and between workers and customers as a preferred safety measure.
- Despite overall concern about their well-being upon returning to the workplace, 31% of the respondents were concerned about utilizing any mobile applications that track location and proximity to people who may have been infected.
- In addition, 23% were concerned about temperature checks when arriving on site, 22% were concerned about workplace sensors to monitor health and safety protocols, and 23% were concerned about cameras for the same purpose.
PwC conducted an additional survey in mid-June, and attitudes aren’t changing.
For example, of more than 1,000 American workers surveyed:
- 47% still reported that their workplace would need to “change workplace safety measures” for them to feel comfortable returning to work.
- 58% of workers from 45-54 exhibited this feeling, and 54% of workers 65 and older responded in kind.
It’s clear, then, that respondents are acting out of an abundance of caution and that the solutions presented to them need to provide a safe and comfortable work experiences while also avoiding infringing on their right to privacy to the best of a property manager’s ability.
In other words, it’s become incumbent upon landlords and property managers to navigate these attitudes and provide solutions that not only protect tenants, but do so in a way that makes them feel comfortable.
Delivering a Workplace Environment that Puts Tenants At Ease
While those numbers are staggering at a glance, solutions exist to help those respondents, who likely represent a wide swath of the workforce, feel safe.
Here are a few avenues toward greater employee comfort during this return-to-work period:
- Improved Wayfinding Solutions
When both employees and customers feel empowered to get around a physical space and are constantly informed, they feel more in control of their own safety and well-being. By leveraging cutting-edge video wall solutions, lighting cues, and other leading technology solutions, landlords can provide ways to encourage simpler wayfinding and widespread communication.
- Security, Surveillance and Access Control
While some respondents expressed concern about “tracking,” etc., security, surveillance and access control will be critical to productivity and safety in the “new normal.” These solutions, which can be integrated into a singular touchpoint where actionable data can be gathered and put to work, can highlight which high-traffic areas need further cleaning attention, see if social distancing measures are being followed, provide insight into who is coming in and out of a space and what they’re doing, and much more.
- Touchless Technology
RFID solutions for automated door opening, touchless presentation options, integrated lighting solutions that act as a part of a holistic approach to technology in the workplace, and more will all play a key role in helping tenants feel safe. If tenants can control as many aspects of their workspace as possible with hands-free solutions and singular control points are leveraged to oversee the totality of a space’s solution, real progress can be made toward peace of mind.
- Elevated Meeting and Collaboration Spaces
In-person meetings aren’t going anywhere, particularly as the “new normal” ramps up. However, landlords and property managers can outfit collaborative spaces with the tools needed for tenants to remain productive without risking their safety. Effective videoconferencing solutions with adequate equipment to allow for social distancing can provide both in-person benefits and a way to communicate with employees who may remain remote, and bring-your-own-device, touchless presentation options can further elevate these spaces.
Let Electrosonic Be the Guide
In the quest to make tenants feel safe and retain them during this uncertain time, landlords and property managers can turn to a trusted AV integrator like Electrosonic to help plan an effective, holistic technology solution from end to end.
It’s not about slapping together some solutions and calling it a day. It’s about crafting a widespread, lasting solution integrating a number of technological options designed to meet tenants’ unique needs and desires.
With Electrosonic’s Technology Master Planning methodology and robust managed services, we can help landlords and tenants take their vision for a safer “new normal” workplace from idea to reality.
To learn more about how Electrosonic is crafting “new normal”-ready solutions, contact us today.
